What makes your beef stew superb?

[FincaPerlitas]

I start with salt pork. Rinse to remove excess salt. then cube it and cook over low heat to render the fat. Remove the salt pork from the pot. Dredge the beef in seasoned flour and brown in the rendered fat. Add bacon grease or butter if needed. When browned, add a cup or two of red wine, 1 generous tablespoon of tomato paste and beef stock (or canned beef broth) to barely cover the meat. Add the cooked salt pork back to the pot. Cover and braise over medium low heat for an hour. Remove from heat, add salt, pepper and herbs to taste (I use marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, etc). Don't oversalt or overseason. You'll have a chance to correct the seasonings later. Add vegetables (onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, etc). Add more stock, if needed. Transfer to oven, cover and cook at 275 degrees for at least 3 or 4 hours, until meat is very tender. You can add fresh mushrooms during the last 1/2 hour, if desired. Transfer all the meat and vegetables to a large serving dish. Taste the broth and correct seasonings, if necessary. Make a thin paste of flour and water (stir or strain the lumps out). Bring broth to a low boil and add the flour mixture a little at a time, in a slow stream - stirring or whisking constantly. It should thicken fairly quickly (a couple of minutes). Repeat until you have the consistency you want. Pour it over the meat and serve.

 

[gage]

Why bother flambeing ?? Except when the flames will affect the result, In this case I can't see how it will change the stew. The alcohol will evaporate anyway. I do flambe dishes and use a big swiss rechaud made by Spring Brothers so I think I understand the concept. Table side cooking is one thing ,but getting your smoke detector pissed off for no reason is another. Done wrong in a high sided pot could get one a really nice burn. Am I missing something ??? Gage

 

[expatgirl]

hey, the flambeing , sounds like a great idea..........lighten (get it) up...................just need to make a stew and try it........only been here a week and finally the temps are getting cool enough to where it sounds wonderful

 

[Argamemnon]

If you use some meat with bones (shanks) when you make beef stew, you could leave out the broth I think?

 

[gage]

are you suggesting an oso bocco style stew or a stew with two different types of meat ?

 

[Argamemnon]

are you suggesting an oso bocco style stew or a stew with two different types of meat ?

Yes.. I actually made it a few days ago...

 

[gage]

was that an oso-bocco ?
or two different types of meat ? --Gage

 

[Argamemnon]

was that an oso-bocco ?
or two different types of meat ? --Gage

more or less an osso buco, but i know my mother also made it with two different types of meat in the past.

 

[Leolady]

I start with salt pork. Rinse to remove excess salt. then cube it and cook over low heat to render the fat. Remove the salt pork from the pot. Dredge the beef in seasoned flour and brown in the rendered fat. Add bacon grease or butter if needed. When browned, add a cup or two of red wine, 1 generous tablespoon of tomato paste and beef stock (or canned beef broth) to barely cover the meat. Add the cooked salt pork back to the pot. Cover and braise over medium low heat for an hour. Remove from heat, add salt, pepper and herbs to taste (I use marjoram, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, etc). Don't oversalt or overseason. You'll have a chance to correct the seasonings later. Add vegetables (onions, potatoes, carrots, celery, etc). Add more stock, if needed. Transfer to oven, cover and cook at 275 degrees for at least 3 or 4 hours, until meat is very tender. You can add fresh mushrooms during the last 1/2 hour, if desired.

I do this also, but I flour my meat first and I use bacon rather than salt pork.

I also use a little worcheshire sauce, red wine, bay leaves, tomato paste, and rather than beef stock, I use chicken stock!

My family loves loves loves my beef stew. Especially if I make it one day, and serve it the next.

 

[Argamemnon]

Can you add some flour at the end, if you decide to thicken the stew? Is it better to mix the flour with boiling water before adding it?

Second, does anyone use leeks for flavour?

 

[dave the baker]

Me, the chef!

 

[MexicoKaren]

Can you add some flour at the end, if you decide to thicken the stew? Is it better to mix the flour with boiling water before adding it?

You can always thicken your stew toward the end, but don't add the flour directly or mix it with hot water. Mix it with cold water (at least 3-4 times as much water as flour) and either shake it well in a jar with the lid on or put it in your blender. If it isn't smooth when you put it in the stew, it will create lumps. Then, be sure at let it cook at least another 10-15 minutes to cook the flour and get the flavors to blend. Start with a couple tablespoons of flour in a half cup of water and see how it goes.

Leeks are great - be sure to clean them really well so you don't have gritty stew.

 

[Maverick2272]

Using flower as a thickener at the end is tricky and hard to do. Instead you can use instant mashed potato flakes as a thickener or make a rue and add it in.

 

[MexicoKaren]

Good point, Buddy. Making a rue is an especially great idea and I've never done it that way. I will try it next time. Thanks!

 

[deelady]

I often add Guiness to mine of which gets many compliments.

 

[mcnerd]

Not recommended since the flour thickener needs to be fully cooked into the gravy otherwise it leaves a raw floury taste. Flour always should be added to a liquid and mixed before adding to the hot gravy/drippings or it will lump.

I actually will use ClearJel® to thicken since it leaves no taste or discoloration.

 

[Maverick2272]

You can avoid that problem with the rue. Mix equal parts butter and flour in a pan on high heat, lower the heat and add in liquid from the stew. Whisk until smooth on high heat again, then add back into the stew.
It will have the same flavor as the stew and no flour taste. If you just mix the flour with juice from the stew then add back in then yes you will have flour taste in it. Using the rue cooks it thus removing the flour taste.

 

[Argamemnon]

Thanks Maverick. It's spelled roux I think, not rue

By the way when you say equal parts of butter and flour, how exactly do you know that the amounts are equal, do you actually measure it?

 

[Maverick2272]

Yea... I'm not known for my spelling abilities! LOL even with speelchicker helping me!

 

[Argamemnon]

Sorry, I editted my message almost at the same time you answered, lol..