COMFORT FOOD WEEK: CHUCKWAGON STEW

When it's cold outside, something warm and filling sounds so... comforting. This week, we'll share some favorite comfort food recipes. This recipe, a delicious, cinnamon-and-cloves scented stew, comes from an old cookbook called "Chuckwagon Cooking from Marlboro Country" put out as a newspaper insert by Marlboro cigarettes in 1981.

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 lbs. beef cubes (5 cups)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons salt

3 tablespoons lard (or butter)

2 sliced onions

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can (28 oz.) tomatoes

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 cups chopped potatoes

2 cups chopped carrots

DIRECTIONS

Coat beef in a mixture of flour, paprika, 1 teaspoon chili powder and salt. Brown in hot fat in a large Dutch oven. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft. Then add tomatoes, chili powder, cinnamon, cloves and pepper. Cover and simmer 2 hours. Add potatoes and carrots and cook until vegetables are done, about 45 minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.