Disappointing--Flemish Beef and Beer Stew

Flemish Beef and Beer Stew
Betty Crocker’s New International Cookbook Copyright 1989

1 ½ pound beef boneless chuck or round steak, 1 inch thick
¼ pound bacon I used turkey bacon
4 medium onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1 can (12 or 16 ounces) light or dark beer
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vinegar
Snipped parsley
Hot cooked noodles

Cut beef into ½-inch slices; cut slices into 2-inch strips. Cut bacon into ¼-inch pieces; fry in Dutch oven until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon; drain. Pour off fat and reserve. Cook and stir onions and garlic in 2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat until onion is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove onions. Cook and stir beef in remaining bacon fat until brown, about 15 minutes.

Stir in flour to coat beef; gradually stir in water. Add onions, beer, bay leaf, brown sugar, salt, thyme and pepper. Add just enough water to cover beef if necessary. Heat to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer until beef is tender, 1 to 1 ½ hours. Remove bay leaf. Stir in vinegar; sprinkle with bacon and parsley. Serve with noodles.
___________________________

This was similar to my favorite beef stew according to the list of ingredients but the small differences really made a big difference. I was not that thrilled with this. I will say that I think my appetite was 'off' last night. I feel a cold coming on.

What went wrong? Why did this turn out so differently from that other recipe? Well, first of all, I thought the bacon might 'add something' but it didn't since I used turkey bacon. I had a stock of it in the freezer (from a BOGO free sale) which I tried once and I decided I didn't like. I was going to buy real bacon for this but I was trying to be healthy and decided to give the turkey bacon another shot. Blech.

This recipe uses water instead of beef stock and the meat:liquid ratio is different. The other recipe has about the same amount of liquid and twice as much meat.

The main difference? The other recipe is baked. Baked stews just taste better than those cooked on the stovetop. Live and learn.

I've been surrounded by all sorts of bugs and illnesses lately and I think I've finally been hit. Let's hope it's something mild. I've going to skip the Blast From The Past because I don't feel like looking at any more food right now.

Question of the Day: Have you been healthy so far this year?