Oh My Beef Tips and Gravy!!

       Today's post is a recipe that brings me straight back to my childhood. When I was little my dad always worked as a salesman of some sort, usually working for the Schwan's Frozen Food Company. He would alternate between Schwans, Red Baron and Tony's Pizza, which meant at any given time our freezer was full of pizzas or frozen meals. One of my favorite meals was Schwan's Beef Tips and Gravy. I remember seeing my mom take that little plastic bag of yummy goodness out of the freezer amd throw it into her trusty pot full of boiling water. Once it was ready she'd serve it over rice or mashed potatoes with a veggie on the side. It was one of the best meals.

     As I sat here the other night reminiscing over this delicious, what I deemed decadent at a young age, meal  I decided to look up how much it would cost to order this from Schwans. When I pulled up the webpage I noticed they were having a sale! Woohoo I was overjoyed, until I saw the prices from the items being on sale. $19.99 for a bag of beef tips and gravy!! I was floored but said to myself, "Seriously, this can't be too hard to make!". So I loaded up Google and began my search.

     Well searching through Google didn't seem to be that helpful. All I found was recipe after recipe containing my two most hated ingredients cream of something soup or a flavor packet. Not knocking anyone who uses these, but I have one recipe in my arsenal that calls for a cream of something soup and that's it. So I decided right then and there I was going to create this bad boy off the top of my head. Gravy isn't that hard to make, equal parts fat and flour and liquid, and well beef tips are pretty self explanatory. Off to the store I go!

     Ok, well not exactly off to the store as it was around 11:00 at night when I had this goal in my head, but you get the idea. So the next morning, off to Publix I go. When I got there I was hit smack in the face, not literally, with what choice of meat to pick. Do I get the one that's already chopped or go for a bigger piece and chop it myself. Here's where the numbers come in. Look at the price per pound and get whatever cut of meat is cheapest. That's the good thing about this meal is its relatively cheap because you can use the least tender piece there is at your store. So I grabbed my chunk of meat and headed home! Well I paid first, but you get the drift.

    When I got home, I mapped out my plan of action. I knew exactly what I was going to do and pulled all my ingredients. This is a life saver whether you are cooking or baking. Whenever you go to cook or bake before you even preheat a oven pull out all of your ingredients! So here's mine!

     This recipe is super simple and you probably already have all the stuff to make it. All you need is flour, meat, beef stock, and some seasoning. The seasoning I used was salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. I ended up using a carton and a half of stock, but I also had two pounds of meat. So grab 2 things of stock just to be sure. Next thing you want to do if your meat isn't cut up is go ahead and chop up your meat.

     Next step in this beautiful creation is season your flour. Season it more liberally then you think you probably should. I don't have exact measurements, because when I cook I rarely measure. When you season the flour you are also seasoning your gravy.

      Next thing is cover your beef tips in the flour. This will help the browning of the meat and will help to create your gravy. After your meat has been floured, its time to get your pan ready for browning the meat. For this recipe you are going to need either a stainless steel, enamel, or cast iron pot, nonstick will not work for this. So heat up some oil in your pot, probably about two to three tablespoons, on medium-medium high heat and throw your meat in. 

     You are NOT cooking the meat! You are just wanting to brown the sides of it. So just brown the meat on all sides. Yes it won't be cooked all the way, but it will finish cooking later.

     Once you have your beef tips pretty brown on the sides pull them from the pan and set them on a plate for safe keeping. What you are going to witness next may frighten some, but its what you want. No you didn't burn anything or screw up. This is where the yummies come in.

     These yummies are packed with goodness. Next you are going to want to throw in about 2T of butter, once the butter is melted throw in about 2T of your seasoned flour. Cook for about 3 minutes. This is what it should look like.

     Next you are going to add your beef stock. I also added a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce. After you have your beef stock in scrap the yummy bits off the bottom of the pan. Cook the gravy over medium heat until it starts to boil. Once its boiling you are going to want to throw your meat back in the pot. Add enough beef stock to just cover the meat. If its already covered by the gravy then omit this step. 

     Now you are going to want to cook it, covered, in the oven for about 30-45 minutes at 325 degrees, depending on how much meat you have. Next step is to get your sides ready! I like it with either mashed potatoes or gravy. Here's the finished product!