Melt shortening in a Dutch oven or large, deep skillet with a lid.

Add the meat cubes and brown well on all sides.

Sprinkle flour, salt, and pepper over the meat; add the boiling water and lemon juice and then cover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer for about 3 hours.

Check occasionally to see if additional water is needed.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In another bowl, mix together the egg, milk, and melted butter.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the egg mixture into the well.

Mix just until incorporated—you don’t want to overmix the dough.

Drop dough by large spoonfuls into simmering stew; cover the pot and allow the dumplings to cook without raising the lid for 15 minutes.

(You might need a bit more cooking time, especially if the dumplings are on the large side, but it’s better to have smaller and more dumplings than large ones.