ISO: ISO: How do YOU stew?

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mistral

Well-known member
Whenever my mom used to make a beef stew, she would brown the meat and then pile every thing with the meat, add water and then cook.--Which, to my tongue, then and now, makes everyt'ing taste the same.

I made a beef stew last night from chunked beef chuck roast/steak, really, really, really well browned. I cooked the couple of pounds of well browned beef with minced garlic, some rosemary sprigs and some dried thyme in a couple quarts of water till tje beef started to be tender. In went the barley. When the barley was just tender but still chewy I then added the taters and carrots and cooked just till the potatoes started to get soft. Then I added coarsely diced onion and stalks of celery and cooked just till both were just done nicely and then I served.

I find the above method very good for avoinding the "one flavor" pot of stew. My stew was pretty tasty; I am looking forward to some for lunch today.

How do you cook your stew?

 
Mistral, did we have the same mother? I follow your method....

Mom dumped everything together and it ended up a MushFest...tasty but utterly indistinguishable ingredients. I made my father stew one day using my "staggered" method and he took one bite, looked at me and said, "I don't know who taught you to cook, but it wasn't your mother."

I start with flour-coated meat and onions in butter/OO for 30 minutes on top of the stove. Then broth/wine and carrots brought to a simmer, covered and popped into the oven at 350 for 30 minutes. Then potatoes for 45 minutes. Then I finish with sauteed mushrooms, seasonings, a paste of butter/flour to thicken, and a splash of brandy that has been flamed.

A good crunchy bread and salad leaves me content.

 
I brown the meat, then remove it. I cook the veg in the same pan. Then put the meat back in for a

moment and add at least a 1/2 c. red wine. {I should have said that I remove the veg first} Once that's done, I add a bit of flour and usually some butter to keep it going. Then I put the veg back in. Always good fresh thyme but the rest of the seasoning just depends.

H loves my stew. Coomplains that I don't make it often enough, but I ask him what meal he would like to have given up; geez, we can't have 4 dinners a day.

When it's close to being done, I put dumpling mix (just Bisquik and milk with some chopped parsley and salt) and cook that.

 
I do beef stew in my crockpot, and I don't brown the beef....(more)....

I cube the beef, mix it with the
veggies (also cubed, or sliced)
and place the mixture in the
bottom of the crockpot. I sprinkle
the seasonings over the meat/veggie
mixture, and then pour the liquid
over everything.

Cover, cook on low for eight to twelve
hours, give it a big stir, and serve.

 
On this latest stew I really, really browned the stew and I noticed a big difference in the flavor.

Browning, and in this case I mean really browning, really adds a dimension to the stew that I find sorely lacking if I use the meat un-browned.

 
You must use fancier meat than I do. My meat wouldn't be tender after cooking a shorter time. (nt)

 
I think if you have good leftover roast beef. . .

and good gravy from the same, and "stack" cook the veggies like I did, it could be pretty good.

I would mix gravy with water to cover the taters and carrots/root veggies, add a little garlic and cook as I mentioned above. I would add the cubed leftover roast beef at the very last and just barely heat through to get the meat warm. I think I am a'thinkin' leftover rib roast. . .

 
I love Anne from Boston's Beef Burgundy Stew. Here it is from the old Kitchen Seek :

BEEF BURGUNDY STEW


2 ½ pounds lean stew beef
2 bay leaves
1½ tsp. thyme
2 cloves minced garlic
1 can tomato paste
3 cups burgundy
1½ tsp. rosemary
2 cans beef broth
1/2 cup water
1 lb. small red potatoes (quartered if large)
1 lb. carrots (in 1 inch slice)
2 small onions quartered
1 lb. small mushrooms, quartered
3 tbsp. water mixed with 3 tbsp. corn starch
¼ cup fresh minced parsley
salt & pepper to taste


Brown stew beef. Drain and return to pan
with bay leaves, thyme, garlic and tomato paste.
Cook on medium/low heat
until garlic is somewhat cooked. Add
burgundy and rosemary, bring to boil and
simmer 1 and one half hours or
until tender

Add rest of ingredients except for parsley &
salt and pepper. Bring back to boil and
simmer ½ hour to 40 minutes or until
vegetables are done. Add corn starch
mixture and stir until slightly thickened.
Add parsley and salt & pepper to taste.
Now you're done. Yumm.


P.S. I adjust thyme, rosemary, and parsley
to my taste. I like more than this recipe
calls for, and fresh rosemary works better.

 
This is the recipe that I also use, but I marinate the beef in balsamic vinegar

for a while then brown. It makes a splatter mess, but I really like the flavor. The balsamic vinegar marinating, I believe was Anne's note.

 
I may be guilty as charged...I cook the meat til almost done, then add veggies all at once. Is that

what you mean? I haven't made stew in a long time, but make the Beef Bourguignon from McCall's Cooking School once in awhile, that particular recipe because my husband loves it, though I have tried other recipes. In the McCall's recipe, the veggies (baby onions and mushrooms) are all cooked along with the beef.

 
Saw this hint once and now I use it all the time: lightly coat meat w/confectioner's sugar instead

of flour, then brown. It gives a nice carmelized browning to the meat.

 
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