Pete's Pot roast (A.K.A. Never-sweat stew)

We worked up this dutch oven recipe while camping at Eagle Lake, in Lassen County, CA. (Named for pioneer Pete Lassen) Once known as Nataqua Territory, there's a lot of rich pioneer history here, centered around both Honey Lake and Susanville. Living off the soil was so easy here that the townsfolk soon acquired an undeserved reputation of indolence. The name "Never-Sweats" was applied to the settlers and the name stuck into well into the 1860's and beyond.... hence the name of the stew.

It is easy, and a great recipe to use when you want to just relax in camp, but know you'll have a satisfying dinner when the coals die down. If you're feeling ambitious sourdough biscuits are a great accompaniment. See the slide show at the bottom of this recipe for all the steps.

This recipe serves four:

Using a charcoal starter or pile in a heap in a fire ring – start off about 4 lb. Charcoal. (amount will vary depending on outdoor temperature, wind, etc.) Coals need to burn about 10-15 minutes for all to become fully lit. OR Rev up a nice hot campfire using hard wood and wait for coals to develop.

Put your Dutch oven on the coals and add about 4 T. vegetable oil. Allow to heat until it starts to pop.

Prep while the coals and oil are heating: 1½ pound round steak or London broil, about 1½” thick, sliced in pieces approximately 4x5. Sprinkle both sides liberally with Rudy’s Rub (or similar spicy BBQ rub). Pound with meat tenderizer or edge of saucer until meat is about ¾ “ thick and the spices have been worked in. Mix a little salt and pepper with about ½ c. flour, coat both sides of each slice of meat, working the flower into the meat. Lay on a plate and cover, let rest for about 30 minutes.

Vegetables: quarter and slice a couple of large potatoes and an onion, slice up a couple of carrots into 1" pieces. Dice ¼ bell pepper and a clove of garlic. Place all the vegetables and an individual size can of whole kernel corn (or substitute abut ½ c. frozen, or fresh cut from two ears) in a bowl with a bottle of beer. Allow the vegetables to marinate at room temperature while you prep and brown the meat.

Coat the meat again with flour and work it in to any areas where the previous flour looks moist from the meat juices. Brown the meat on both sides in the hot oil.

Remove the Dutch oven from the coals. Remove meat, place cast iron trivet in the bottom of the Dutch oven (not essential but it helps prevent the meat from scorching) replace meat, pour in a bottle of your favorite cooking beer. Pull some of the coals to the side and lift a shovel-full (about 15 coals) for the lid. Put the kettle in the middle of the ring of coals, replace the lid and add the shovel-full of coals on the lid. Let the meat simmer for about 20 minutes, then check the liquid level. If it’s getting dry add a couple of cups of water.

Check as often as you think necessary. The outside temperature will have a lot of impact on how many coals you need. Simmer for about an hour. Then pour in the vegetables along with the beer they've been marinating in. Snuggle up the coals around the kettle, maybe put another coal or two on the lid, depending on how hot the contents were. Allow to simmer another hour, keeping an eye on the liquid. If it’s not quite time for supper you can just let it sit, as the heat from the coals will gradually taper off but the contents of the kettle will stay hot for quite awhile.

This recipe also works well in a crock pot.

Hays County Stew

Over the years I've accumulated three really interesting recipes for stew. Being a Libra, I can never decide which is my favorite, so I put them all together. The result is Hays County Stew.

My earliest favorite stew recipe is from "Manna:Foods of the Frontier" (Harris 1972) Son-of-a-bitch Stew (sometimes referred to as hunter's stew) is made with buffalo, deer, moose, bear, elk, and perhaps a beaver tail. Organ meats were included too, hot peppers if available, a pint of rum might be added but no other water or vegetables. After several hours of simmering a gravy was made if flour was available, and maybe dumplings on the top. Sturdy stuff for sturdy men! Although I never made this recipe as it appears in the book (I do like vegetables in mine!) I took the idea of multiple meats and have incorporated that into this recipe.

Inspiration for the name of this recipe came from Hopkins County Stew, from a book entitled "A Taste of Texas" (McDuff 1949). This stew is made with chicken (including giblets), bacon, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, turnips if you like them, and corn. The corn is the deciding feature. The basic stew is cooked seven hours, then the corn is added toward the end, so that only the kernels of corn retain their individual identity. This recipe contributes the basic cooking procedures and variety of vegetables as well as the corn.

My newest favorite stew recipe came from a country music magazine article on the Bellamy Brothers. Their recipe for Chili Stew (which I'll make another entry for) calls for the typical beef, potatoes and onions, with the addition of green and Serrano chilies, chopped cilantro, fresh kernel corn, and is served with cheese on top. I can't quite to the Serrano chilies, but the other south-of-the border seasonings appealed to me.

So, here's the process, and suggested measurements. As with all good stews, you adjust to suit yourself as you are cooking. If you are interested in dutch oven cooking this is a good recipe to try. Cook the meat over a fairly hot fire in the early morning, add the other items, cover and bury in coals and pull it out in the evening. Add the corn and reheat before serving.


*Hays County Stew
Calculate the basic ingredients - for every 5 people use
3 slices bacon
2 pounds of meats cut in 1 inch cubes
You must use at least three different types of meats. Beef steak, chicken, pork, game meats of any type, and meats that are spiced like brats or other cased sausages are great. Just slice them in roughly the same size as the other meats. The best batch of this stew we ever made had about six different types of meat.
4 potatoes
1 pound tomatoes
2 onions, chopped in small chunks
fresh garlic
preferred spices (thyme, basil, sage, bay, leaf etc.)
1 small can diced green chilies (more if you like, or use diced fresh and any type of chili you like)
4 ears of fresh corn (slice off the kernels), or one can whole kernel corn
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup of grated jack or cheddar cheese

Chop up the bacon and frizzle till the grease is all cooked out. Remove the brown bits and add the chopped meats. Brown, pulling of extra liquid as it cooks.
Save the liquid and chill it so the fat can be skimmed off, then return the liquid to the stew later.

Once the meat is brown add the onions and cook them until they start to become translucent, the add the potatoes, tomatoes and chilies. Add back in the liquid you saved (after skimming the fat) and the bacon bits. Reduce heat and simmer for several hours (5-6). If the pot becomes dry add a can of beer or additional water. Cover with coals if cooking this dutch oven style and let it simmer along without opening for at least 2 hours, then check to see if it needs more liquid.

As serving time approaches open up the kettle and stir in the cilantro and the corn (drain the liquid if using canned). Get the stew good and hot again, and top with the grated cheese when serving.

A salad and corn bread or baking powder biscuits complete the meal.

*Hays County, our place of residence in Texas, is named for John "Jack" Coffee Hays, famous Texas Ranger.