This easy potato and meat stew is a delicious recipe to make any day of the week when you crave something hearty and fulfilling.

Easy Potato and meat stew
This recipe comes from a 1941 Romanian cooking book. I basically grew up with this dish made on a regular basis by my mother.
The recipe is popular because it is easy to make and also uses basic ingredients that most people have in their homes.
I always said that if times are hard and I need to feed my family, some potatoes, onions and tomato sauce would be all I need. If the meat is available, I consider it a bonus.
This recipe is kind of similar with a beef stew (the rich version) where meat, potatoes, carrots, onions and other things are slow cooked together.
Like many of my recipes, this one is again an easy and very doable one. It works for a low budget meal, but it also works when you want something hearty and delicious.
If you want to make it vegetarian, you can skip the meat entirely. I had it like that many times in my life and it is still absolutely delicious.
What kind of ingredients you need for this easy potato and meat stew:
- potatoes- are the base of the dish
- meat-can be anything you have available. The recipe tells you that you can use pork, beef, veal, chicken, rabbit or game meat.
- onions
- dill, parsley
- tomato paste or tomato sauce
- salt and pepper
- optional: paprika
how to make this recipe:
The recipe starts by preparing the ingredients. As a rule for this dish, you will need meat without the bone. Use pork chunks, beef chunks, chicken thighs or breast etc.
Heat up a Dutch oven or a pot and add some oil. Add the chunks of meat to the pot and brown them on all sides.
While the meat is browning, dice the onion and add it to the pot. Cook them together, until the onions get translucent and yellow-ish.
Make sure to stir in the pot once in a while, so the onions don't burn.
Throw some salt in the pot and add some warm water, about half cup, or to almost cover the meat. Cover the pot and allow it to simmer for about 30 minutes or until the meat is almost tender.
While the meat is cooking, prepare the potatoes. These need to be cleaned, peeled and cut in about 1 inch cubes.
Add them to the pot together with a cup of warm water and allow them to cook until they are tender.
Add the tomato paste and more salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently, so the potatoes don't break.
When ready, place it in the oven at 350F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle some fresh parsley or chopped dill on top and serve in bowls.
The Romanian cooks think that a stew finished in the oven is much better than the one made only on the stove, so please give it a try and let me know what you think.
Don't cook it too much, you need the stew to have some sauce.
What to serve with this dish:
I had this easy potatoes with meat stew so many times, made by my mother, both my grandmothers, and every time, bread was served with it. Polenta is a good option as well.
The bread was used for dipping into the sauce, which was absolutely delicious. A good bread in my opinion for this dish is this no knead bread.
How to store this dish and how to reheat it:
This easy potato and meat stew can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Leftovers can be reheated in the microwave or directly on the stove for a few minutes.
Easy Potato And Meat Stew
This easy potato and meat stew is a delicious recipe to make any day of the week when you crave something hearty and fulfilling.
Ingredients
- 1 pound meat(decide what you are going to use- could be pork loin, OR beef chuck, OR chicken breast/or thighs)
- 1 medium white onion diced
- 2 pounds potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil(like sunflower oil)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley or dill, or 1 teaspoon dried parsley or dill
- 1 ¼ cups water
Instructions
- As a rule for this dish, you will need meat without the bone. Use pork loin, beef chuck, chicken thighs or breast etc.
- Heat up a Dutch oven or a pot and add some oil. Add the chunks of meat to the pot and brown them on all sides on medium heat.
- While the meat is browning, dice the onion and add it to the pot. Cook them together, until the onions get translucent.
- Note: Make sure to stir in the pot once in a while, so the onions don’t burn.
- Salt and pepper the meat and onions and add some warm water, about half cup, or to almost cover the meat. Cover the pot and allow it to simmer for about 30 minutes or until the meat is almost tender.
- While the meat is cooking, prepare the potatoes. These need to be cleaned, peeled and cut in about 1 inch cubes.
- Add them to the pot together with a cup of warm water and allow them to cook until they are tender.
- Add the tomato paste and more salt and pepper to taste. Stir gently, so the potatoes don’t break.
- When ready, place it in the oven at 350F for 30 minutes. Sprinkle some fresh parsley or chopped dill on top and serve.
- Don’t cook it too much, you need the stew to have some sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 383Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 69mgSodium: 124mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 4gSugar: 3gProtein: 25g
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