Margaret's Beef Stew

This recipe comes from the first "What's Cooking at Moody's Diner" cookbook. Moody's Diner is a vintage 1930's Diner in Waldoboro, Maine and every year when I went to visit, my grandmother would take me there to get breakfast. I never had *this* recipe at Moody's, but this is my favorite stew that my mom made when I was growing up, and I want to make sure I don't lose this recipe. The barley was her addition to this stew, and she always made it in a crock pot, although I'll give the instructions to make it in a pot on the stove as well. Mainer's shorten "oleomargarine" to "oleo", unlike all the rest of the world that shortens it to "margarine", so in the recipe, where it calls for oleo, it is asking for margarine or butter. You can use a bag of frozen stew veggies instead of preparing the fresh ones, to make it a bit faster to put together, and if you use quick barley, add it in the last half hour or so of cooking, so it doesn't get mushy. This recipe is great served with homemade yeast rolls, or biscuits.

• Ready In: 6 hrs 15 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons oleo (margarine or butter)
• 2  tablespoons flour
• 1⁄2 cup catsup (ketchup)
• 3  cups boiling water
• 1  lb stewing beef, cubed
• 1  onion, diced
• 4 -5  carrots, scrubbed and sliced
• 3 -4  potatoes, scrubbed and diced
• 1⁄4 cup barley
•  salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Combine oleo and flour in a pot with a heavy bottom over low heat, or a crockpot on low.
2. Add catsup and boiling water.
3. Add beef, onions, vegetables, and barley.
4. Bring to boil and simmer until beef is tender or,
5. In crockpot, simmer all day on low.