Cooking Bajan Style: Bajan Beef Stew

There is nothing quite like a good ol' bajan beef stew, oh the comfort it gives you; especially when coupled with some sweet potato pie, pickled cucumber and peas n' rice. Usually when bajans cook up a beef stew they rarely utilze a recipe, it just comes off the top of their head with seasoning being adjusted to taste. What we did when making this was we wrote what came off the top of our head and developed a recipe. Try it! it is quite devine (if we may say so ourselves). 

Bajan Beef Stew Recipe

2 pounds stew beef
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups water
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
2 medium onions, sliced
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Dash ground allspice or ground cloves
4 large carrots, sliced
3 ribs celery, chopped
Small Bunch Fresh Thyme
Small Bunch Marjoram
2 bay leaves
½ scotch bonnet minced
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoon of flour combined with 1 tablespoon room temperature butter

Directions

Marinate beef in black pepper, salt and 2 cloves of the garlic. Caramelize 2 cloves of garlic and the onions; place in separate bowl. Using the same pot, brown meat in hot oil and melted sugar on a medium to high heat . Add water, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, thyme, marjoram, salt, black pepper, scotch bonnet pepper, paprika, and allspice. Cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours. Remove bay leaves and stalks of thyme and Marjoram. Add carrots and celery. Cover and cook 30 to 40 minutes longer. To thicken gravy, add the flour and butter mixture.