Classic Beef Stew

This is great chilly weather food. It can also be made with Venison, Elk or Bison (Buffalo) and will turn out great every time.

1½# very lean stew meat

2T Balsamic vinegar

2T extra virgin olive oil

1 can diced tomatoes and juice

½–1 pkg. dry onion soup

Brown the meat in the vinegar and oil. Brown it very well, adding a little water to the pot, from time to time, to keep it from sticking.

When meat is very well browned, add tomatoes and onion soup. Simmer, covered for an hour, adding water, a little at a time, as needed. Then add the following rough chopped vegetables:

3 big carrots

2 big potatoes

3 stalks celery and tops

2 medium onions

Simmer another half hour. This is best chilled at this point and reheated later. Serve as is or with buttery, crusty Italian bread. . .Lin