Stew on This
What is a stew? A stew is simply a combination of flavours made from ingredients cooked slowly in liquid. If the meat is popping up out of the liquid, you’re braising. If it’s fully submerged, you’ve got a stew. You can make a stew out of almost anything, from beans, vegetables and chicken to fish, beef or any other type of meat. When it comes to meat, there are some special considerations to observe.
Use the right cut Stewing is the solution for tougher cuts of meat such as chuck, round, short ribs or brisket. These cuts have lots of collagen and connective tissue. Grilling quickly turns them to rubber while stewing them makes all that collagen break down into goodness, leaving the meat tender and full of flavour.
Brown first, then stew Always brown the meat first. It takes time, and requires a little patience, but remind yourself that that brown colour on the out- side of the meat will mean rich flavour later. It will also make your stew look amazingly rich.
The world is your flavour base Maybe you’re after a French bourguignon made with wine, thyme and mushrooms?
Choose carrots, parsnips, turnips and lamb for an Irish stew. Or how about garlic, star anise and hot chili paste for a Chinese-inspired pork stew? Look to onion, ginger, garlic, fenugreek, mustard seed and other South Asian spices and you are on your way to a curry.
Now for the liquid Lean on wine, beer or cider to provide a hit of acid to help deglaze the pan. Then use stock or broth to bring in more flavour.
Let it stew Let the meat cook — taste it after an hour and then every half hour after that. Most stews take about two and a half hours to break down the meat. Rarely will you need to cook things all day, unless you want your meat to disappear.
Add the veg Add the vegetables in the final stages of cooking so they don’t get overcooked. And cut them into larger pieces.
Eat it the next day If you can bear to wait, there’s nothing like a stew that has sat in the fridge overnight. And you’ll f el so clever for having dinner already made.
Carne Guisado
Inspired by a traditional carne guisado from Galicia, in Northern Spain, this rich beef stew with a garlic and tomato base is enlivened with white wine and mellowed with just a hint of bittersweet Spanish paprika.
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound beef chuck, cut into 1½-inch pieces
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves
1 red pepper
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup passata (strained tomatoes)
3 cups beef stock
2 fresh bay leaves
¾ teaspoon bittersweet (agridulce) paprika
2 large carrots
2 large potatoes
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a heavybottomed pot or Dutch oven. Trim any excess fat from meat and dry it by patting with clean kitchen towel. Taking 6 pieces at a time, season the meat with salt and pepper and brown in hot oil on medium-high heat being careful not to crowd the pan. Turn pieces carefully, making sure to brown each side. Remove the pieces to a plate and repeat the process with remaining meat.
Once all the beef is browned, add onions and garlic to the pot and sauté over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes to soften. Don’t worry if the pan is a bit brown — that will soon add flavour. Julienne the red pepper and cut each slice in half. Add the red pepper to the pot and continue cooking, stirring occasionally for a further 5 minutes. Re-introduce the meat to the pot.
Increase heat to high and add wine and passata, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon as you stir. Add beef stock, bay leaf and paprika. Once the contents of the pan start to boil, reduce heat to a low simmer.
Cover partially with the pot lid and simmer slowly for 90 minutes on medium low. Prepare the remaining vegetables in the meantime. Peel carrots and potatoes and cut into large dice. After 90 minutes, add the carrots and continue simmering for 30 minutes. At the 2-hour mark, add the potatoes and cook for a further 30 minutes until just tender. The meat should break pull apart easily with a fork. Ladle the stew into sprinkle with parsley and serve with crusty bread to mop up all the luscious sauce.
