no mayonnaise
Sous Chef
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2011
- Messages
- 553
Wine is also acidic so make sure if you omit the wine from the dish that you balance it with another acid, and not just replace with water or stock.
I can understand adding wine to a stew to add the flavor of the wine, in spite of any alcohol the wine contains (I've always presumed alcohol evaporates from the heat of cooking). I'm curious what adding alcohol without flavor (vodka) brings to the recipe. Does the addition of alcohol change any of the cooking or flavor parameters?
No mayo, I'm not sure if I agree with replacing wine with "another" acid (not sure wine's acidic at all), but if anybody wants to do that I'd suggest using balsamic vinegar. I've often enjoyed the flavor complexity that balsamic vinegar brings to recipes.
Wine contains anywhere from 5.5-10% acidity (I know this because I make wine). The sweeter the wine, the more acidic it is. Though vinegar has roughly the same acidity level as wine, I'm not sure I would recommend replacing wine in a recipe with an equal amount of vinegar, as it has a completely different flavor profile.No mayo, I'm not sure if I agree with replacing wine with "another" acid (I'm not sure wine is acidic at all), but if anybody wants to do that I'd suggest using balsamic vinegar. I've often enjoyed the flavor complexity that balsamic vinegar brings to recipes.
Alcohol releases flavor components in foods that water or oil can't.
Tomatoes, for example. That's the reason you see so many tomato sauce recipes call for red wine or vodka.
I am one who is opposed to adding sugar. I don't care for sweet sauce. I don't think it's necessary to add sugar to mask acidity. If you can't find less acidic tomatoes, more 'normal' ingredients can be used to counteract acidic sauce.
Thanks. I'll give this recipe a try. It appears to be very similar to the one I used a few years ago. I'll keep my fingers crossed.First, let me say that I'm not a fan of too much wine in food. I like some, but I don't want it to overpower. It should be used more like a seasoning.
However, about three or four years ago I found the following beef stew recipe on Simply Recipes. I was hesitant to try it because it called for a LOT of alcohol. 1 cup of red wine AND 1 cup of Guinness Stout. But the reviews were favorable so I gave it a shot.
It's simply the best beef stew recipe I've ever had. Give it a try. I think you'll be as pleasantly surprised as I was how well the flavor combination works.
Recipe here:
Irish Beef Stew Recipe | Simply Recipes