Recipes

Stew (Beef, Lamb, Pork, Veal or Smoked Ham)

Recipe No. 305 from the U.S. Army's WWII cookbook — Meat. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Army TM10-412 · Beef · Meat · Pork · Soup

Serves 100 servings, 10 ounces (approximately one cup) each.
View source — TM 10-412 Army Recipes (War Department, 1944) ↗

Recipe No. 305 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Meat. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

  • Meat, carcass — 40 pounds
  • or — as needed
  • Meat, boneless — 28 pounds
  • Flour, sifted — 1½ pounds (1½ No. 56 dippers)
  • Salt — 6 ounces (¼ mess kit cup)
  • Pepper — ½ ounce (2 mess kit spoons)

Fat — 1½ pounds (¾ No. 56 dipper)

  • Water or beef stock — 4 gallons (16 No. 56 dippers)
  • Onions, small, whole — 8 pounds
  • Carrots, sliced or cubed — 8 pounds

Turnips, sliced or cubed — 8 pounds

  • Celery, diced (optional) — 5 pounds (5 No. 56 dippers)
  • Peas, fresh or frozen — 5 pounds

Water, boiling — as needed

  • Flour, sifted (for gravy) — 1 pound (1 No. 56 dipper)
  • Water, cold (for gravy) — as needed
  • Salt — as needed
  • Pepper — as needed

Directions

  1. Cut meat into 1- to 2-inch cubes.
  2. Mix flour, salt, and pepper together. Roll meat in flour and cook in fat until brown.
  3. Add water or stock; cover and heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer 2½ to 3 hours or until tender.
  4. Add vegetables in the following order allowing required time for each to cook: onions 45 minutes to 1 hour; carrots, 30 minutes; turnips and celery, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain; reserve liquid.
  5. Barely cover peas with boiling water. Heat to boiling point; reduce heat and simmer 20 to 30 minutes or until tender.
  6. Mix flour and water; stir until smooth. Add to hot meat and vegetable stock. Heat to boiling point; boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add salt and pepper.
  7. Pour gravy over meat and vegetables. Add cooked peas; reheat.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Meat, carcass — 3 lb 3¼ oz or — to taste Meat, boneless — 2 lb 3¾ oz Flour, sifted — 2 oz Salt — ½ oz Pepper — a pinch Fat — 2 oz Water or beef stock — 1¼ qt Onions, small, whole — 10¼ oz Carrots, sliced or cubed — 10¼ oz Turnips, sliced or cubed — 10¼ oz Celery, diced (optional) — 6⅓ oz Peas, fresh or frozen — 6⅓ oz Water, boiling — to taste Flour, sifted (for gravy) — 1¼ oz Water, cold (for gravy) — to taste Salt — to taste Pepper — to taste

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 305, Meat. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.