Ranch House Stew with Biscuit Crust

This NOT diet food!! If you're looking for "no fat, low chlorestrol, low cal etc., DO NOT EVEN READ THIS RECIPE!! This is old fashioned Ranch Stew, meant to fill a tired hungry cowboy. Revised from the old west, before anyone worried about fat etc. Good for special gatherings, family reunions etc., when people take a little of everything and enjoy it all and go home bursting, once a year!!

• Ready In: 3 hrs 40 mins
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 4  lbs  beef rump or 4  lbs  stew meat, cut into cubes
• 4  large onions, chopped
• 3⁄4 cup flour
• 1  teaspoon paprika
• 1  cup canned tomato
• 1  cup beer (optional)
• 2  teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 4  cups  brown stock or 4  beef bouillon cubes, dissolved in water
• 3  bay leaves
• 1  teaspoon parsley
• 1⁄4 teaspoon thyme
• 2  cups mushrooms, whole or sliced
• 1  teaspoon salt
•  pepper

• Biscuit crust

• 2  cups flour
• 1  tablespoon baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 4  tablespoons butter
• 1  egg
• 3⁄4 cup milk

Directions

1. Stew: Trim fat from meat.
2. Place pieces of fat in a heavy pan to render fat.
3. Discard the dried bits.
4. Brown meat in fat (add lard if there is not enough).
5. Remove meat and brown onions.
6. Return the meat to the pan.
7. Add flour and paprika.
8. Stir well.
9. Continue cooking for a few minutes.
10. Add tomatoes, beer, Wrocestershire sauce, stock, bay leaves, parsley and thyme.
11. Cover and bake in a 300f degree oven or simmer on top of stove for 3 hours, until meat is tender.
12. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper.
13. Pour stew into a 3 quart casserole or two smaller casseroles.
14. Prepare the biscuit crust.
15. Biscuit Crust: Mix dry ingredients.
16. Work in butter until mixture resembles crumbs.
17. Beat egg with the milk.
18. Make a well in the centre of dry ingredients; pour in egg and milk and mix until one lump of dough is obtained.
19. roll out on a floured board to 1/2 inch thickness.
20. Cut to fit the size of the casserole.
21. Place the dough over the stew in casserole and seal edge tightly to keep flavour in.
22. Brush the top with milk and bake in a 400f degree oven for approximately 20 minutes or until browned.
23. If serving this stew to guests, prepare stew ahead of time and have ingredients measured for the biscuit topping.
24. The dish will then take only a few minutes to assemble.
25. Serve with hearty veggies one the side, roasted root veggies go well, carrots, rutabega, parsnips, and potatoes, etc.