Sour beef and dumplings

Nancy Enders' Recipe

Beef

• Beef Stew Cubes - 2 1/2 lbs - 

• Vinegar - 1 cup

• Water - 8 cups

• Pickling spice - (fill a spice mesh ball or tea strainer)

• Onions - Approximately 2 diced

• Sugar - 1 cup

• Ginger Snaps - 48 cookies

• Flour - for thickening if needed

Dumplings

• Instant mashed potatoes - 1 large box (comparable to French's)

• Flour - 2 1/2 cups

• Egg - 1 

• Water - follow direction on instant mashed potato box

Sour Beef

1. Combine beef, vinegar, water, onions, pickling spice, in large pot. Cook for 2-3 hours until beef is tender. Add a cup of white sugar and simmer for 30 minutes. 

2. Remove spice container.

3. In a large plastic container, add water (approximately 2 cups) and dissolve ginger snaps in the water. Stir until smooth, strain if lumpy. 

4. Remove large beef pot from heat and add ginger snap mixture. Stir until thick.

5. Add a mixture of flour and water to thicken if needed.

Dumplings

1. Cook instant potatoes according to directions on the box, omit butter. 

2. In a separate container, beat egg and add flour. Work into potatoes and form dumplings. 

3. Drop into a pot of uncovered boiling water. Boil until dumplings rise to the top (8-10 minutes). Cut a dumpling in half to test.

4. Add dumplings to sour beef as serving.