1 lb. beef stew meat, such as boneless chuck
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cups chicken or beef broth, homemade or store-bought
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, with their juices
2 cups topped okra, cut into one-inch lengths (from about 1/2 lb. okra)
1 tsp. chopped fresh marjoram
1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
Cut the beef into largeish soup spoon–sized pieces. Pat the beef dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring, until well-browned on all sides. (You may need to cook the beef in batches to get it nice and brown.) Remove the beef from the pot and set it aside. Stir in the onion, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for a few minutes, until the onion picks up some color from the browned bits in the pot. Stir in the broth and tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Stir in the okra, adjust the heat to a simmer, and cook for 45 minutes.
Return the beef to the pot. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook, stirring every half hour or so, until the beef is very tender, about 1½ to 2 hours. About half an hour before the soup is ready, stir in the marjoram and thyme, along with additional salt and pepper to taste.
Does This Taste Funny? is a food- and family-filled homage to life in the Lowcountry
