Le Creuset 4 1/4 quart Soup Pot

I first wrote about my Le Creuset 4 1/4 quart soup pot way back in January of 2010. That's almost 3 years ago. It has been my blog post with the most views. Since then It has been used a minimum of twice a week, sometimes more often for the entire time. But never more than 6 days a week. I have cooked stews, roasts, chilli's and of course soup in it. It has been used in the oven as a roaster. On the stove as a soup pot. Basically it is my go to pot.

I would still recommend the Le Creuset cast iron line to everyone. They are still made by hand in France. I should say that this was a gift from my husband. I suspect that he likes the easy clean up feature of the pot. For tough clean ups like cooked on BBQ sauce he just lets it sit over night in warm soapy water, then wipes it out followed by a quick rinse in the sink the next day. Most nights he just lets the pot cool down and gives it a quick wash down.

Well you have all seen the new pretty pictures of the Le Creuset line of pot and pans. This is what my pot looks like inside and out after 3 years. This is my most used and most versatile piece of Le Creuset that I currently own. I have 5 other pieces of Le Creuset cookware, all are used with love and some are almost 20 years old and still in use. If I happen to remember I will give you a glimpse of this pot in another few years.

I have not been paid by Le Creuset for this recommendation, As I said before the pot was a gift from my wonderful husband. All opinions are my own.

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

This is what I served John for dinner last night. It takes a little more preparation than my usual recipes but the taste is well worth the effort in my humble opinion.

Old Fashioned Beef Stew

1 pound beef stew meat
24 ounces of mini potatoes washed
1 medium sweet onion coarsely chopped
6 large sweet carrots peeled and coarsely sliced
1 whole celery washed and coarsely sliced
1 pound frozen mixed vegetables
salt and pepper to taste

Three and one half hours before dinner get your 4 1/4 quart Le Creuset pot or a similar sized pot. Make sure it will hold the steam in. I did not add any extra liquid to this recipe so it is important to not lose steam or liquid during cooking. If you pot lets out to much steam you may have to add water to keep this from burning.

On a medium heat add the stew meat with the salt and pepper to brown. Once the meat is no longer bright red add the onions and cook covered until the onions are soft. Then layer in the potatoes, carrots and celery. Cover and continue to heat on a medium heat for 30 minutes. Carefully take the lid off the pot to keep as much of the moisture in the pan as possible. Stir the pot and put the cover back on. Lower the temperature to medium low and cook for 1 more hour. Carefully take off the lid to preserve the moisture in the pan. Add the frozen vegetables and cover for 30 minutes. Stir and cover for the last half hour.

Serve with fresh bread or biscuits. Serves 4.

You may substitute fresh lamb, or chicken in the stew but the flavorings may have to be adjusted.