Homemade Beef Stew Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What gives beef stew the best flavor? ›

Add spices such as turmeric, coriander and cumin at the early stage of cooking, when you are frying onions and garlic, to enhance the taste of the beef stew. Fresh herbs like coriander and bay leaves also contribute a distinct flavour without making the dish too spicy for the younger members of the family.

The most important key to making stew meat tender is being sure to cook it for a long time. If you want super tender beef, you'll need to cook it on a low heat in a Dutch oven on the stove or a slow cooker for at least a few hours.

The Ideal Stew Ratio: Two Parts Meat, One Part Vegetable

Most meat-based stews call for tough, inexpensive cuts of meat, while vegetarian recipes include the same onions, carrots, and celery typical of a beef stew. Two parts meat to one part vegetables is the perfect ratio for a meaty stew.

instead of a roux or flour use cornstarch or arrowroot . equal parts water to cornstarch and arrowroot. mix that up and then you add it to simmering sauce or whatever. you're trying to thicken, it's called a slurry.

Since any salt sprinkled on meat just before stewing it dissolves into the cooking liquid, from a seasoning perspective it doesn't matter if you sprinkle the salt directly on the meat or add it to the stewing liquid.

Baking soda acts as a meat tenderizer by changing the physical composition of meat fibers.

Add vegetables: After 1 hour 30 minutes, carefully remove pot from oven and use oven mitt to remove lid. Add vegetables and stir gently to combine. Carefully replace lid on pot and return stew to oven to cook for an additional hour.

Cook over medium-high heat, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the beef, beef broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer. Cover and cook, skimming broth from time to time, until the beef is tender, about 1½ hours.

Use a tight-fitting lid and keep it on while stewing to prevent moisture and heat loss, which can affect cooking time. Follow your recipe for timing guidelines. Do not lift the lid — unless you are recipe calls for adding vegetables or other ingredients later on. You will know it is done when the meat is fork tender.

Do you cook beef stew covered or uncovered? ›

SIMMER & STEW

Don't lift the lid — unless your recipe calls for adding vegetables or other ingredients later on. You'll know it's done when the beef is fork-tender.

Yukon Golds have a creamy texture and slightly waxy consistency that holds up well in stews without becoming overly mushy. They add a nice richness to the stew. Red potatoes have a smooth, thin skin and a waxy texture, red potatoes hold their shape nicely during cooking.

Tomato paste adds crucial flavor and body to the stew meat when cooked with herbs, garlic and wine.

I contacted Laurence to get the lowdown on why she adds tomato paste to her beef stew. "I include tomato paste in many braised recipes because it adds a depth of flavor without increasing the liquid quantity in the dish," Laurence explains.

Short rib is one of the best stew meats for rich and hearty stews because of its robust flavor and large surface area that absorbs the sauce during the long cooking time. These short ribs also contain a great deal of connective tissue, which breaks down in the slow cooker to produce a very soft and succulent meat.

Aim for one to three fresh sprigs, 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh leaves, or 1 teaspoon of dried leaves for about 1 to 2 pounds of beef. Other herbs, spices, and ingredients that complement rosemary and beef are parsley, sage, thyme, onion, garlic, red wine, and carrots.