Mammi Rhoda’s beef stew recipe from When They Met Again

One of the really fun aspects of writing When They Met Again, a friends-to-something more, second-chance romance, was creating chorus of grandmothers who are part of the story. Out of the four, three have a signature recipe with a secret ingredient. In today’s post I’m going to share Mammi Rhoda’s beef stew recipe. Her secret ingredient? Keep reading to find out!

First, here are a couple of quotes from the story about Rhoda’s iconic stew:

“I have a better idea,” Adam said. “We have a pot of beef stew in the fridge for tonight.” Joanna knew it was Mammi Rhoda’s stew, one of her best dishes. “You and Lu should come to our house.” …

Adam took a bite of stew. And then another. “Wow, this is the best stew I’ve had. Don’t tell my Mamm.” His face grew warm and then he asked Mammi Becky, “Have I had your stew before?” “Jah. When you were little.” Becky swirled her spoon around in the bowl. “But it was Rhoda’s recipe—and not actually as good as this batch, which she made on Saturday.” Becky lowered her voice. “I think she left out a secret ingredient in the recipe she shared.”

What could the secret ingredient possibly be?

Here’s the recipe:

Mammi Rhoda’s Beef Stew

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds chuck loin cubes or stew meat
• 1/4 cup sifted flour
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 1 cup sliced onions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups beef broth
• 1/3 cup cooking sherry (or more to taste) (yes, this is Rhoda’s secret ingredient!)
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 T rosemary
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cups potatoes, cubed
• 2 cups carrots, chopped into chunks
• 1 cup celery, sliced

Instructions

Flour beef cubes and brown in butter in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat.

Cook onions and garlic in with the beef until tender. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot to mix all the brown bits that may stick to the bottom of the pot.

Add broth, sherry, rosemary, salt, pepper, and bay leaves. Cover and let simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Add potatoes, carrots, and celery; cover again and simmer 30 minutes or longer until the vegetables are soft.

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Look for more recipes from When They Met Again on Tuesdays for the next three weeks! The book is available now at all of your favorite books places–Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Christianbook. (If you’re local library doesn’t carry it, ask if they can order it!)