AIBU to ask you how you make stew?

[eternallytired]

And what do you put in your stew?

And does it taste better the second day?

Shamelessly admitting I'm 31 and have never made stew

I tell Stew, "If you don't take those bins out right now, you'll be sleeping on the sofa tonight, and you can make your own sodding sandwiches in the morning." That usually makes him.

This is my favourite beef stew recipe, borrowed from Jamie Oliver.
It's sensational and it's the recipe that made my mother proclaim to my grandparents over Skype when she was visiting ''Chick knows how to cook!''
From reading this thread i notice that it's quite similar to what others are mentioning. In any case, here it is.

www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/beef-stew/

The only thing I do different is that I skip the vine tomatoes as I don't personally like tomatoes in stews (but I do add a bit of tomato paste instead).

Depends on what one.

For Oxtail, I chuck it into the slow cooker with some onions, carrot, a big squirt of tomato puree and a splash of water + a sprig of Rosemary or Thyme and leave it to get on with it.

Since when was it a 'city person' thing to make stew with mince? Not in any city I know it's just personal preference

Diced meant, stock cube, onion and carrots, throw it in the slow cooker for the day. None of this browning and flouring and seasoning nonsense,

Sometimes we chuck a can of Guinness in to it too.

Yes

I always brown the meat - cuts down oven time, but don't use flour anywhere near it.

I put a bouquet garni into a casserole dish first, then add venison or braising steak chunks, carrots, parsnips and loads of garlic cloves (they are soft and mellow after cooking). just cover with water and add a beef stock pot, (one of those thick liquid ones) and plenty of pepper. Put the lid on and cook in the oven for a couple of hours at 140c, then turn up to180c and add runner or thin green beans. When it's bubbling add suet dumplings for the last 20 mins. Yes, it does taste better the next day!

Always used to cook mine in a big stainless steel pot or slow cooker. All my stews were full, then my friend suggested one of those heavy enamel casserole dishes like this. Has made massive difference to all my slow cooked meals

gulash is our favorite stew here.

toss diced beef in flour and paprika and smoked paprika powder.
cook a couple of onions in oil or butter until soft.
add beef
add a cup of lentils
add a couple of tins of toms (or equivalent amount of dices fresh toms. I don't bother peeling)
add a few cloves of peeled garlic
stock cube
simmer for one to two hours
add cubed waxy potatos and chopped bell peppers and simmer for another 20 min

serve

definitely tastes better the day after

I make dumplings without suet by grating butter into self raising flour and adding mixed herbs. No idea of quantities but about two thirds flour to one third butter. Works well.

I make a quick 'stew' with mince, which is basically cottage pie (mince, onions, carrots and peas) in gravy with out the mash on top. And served on a giant Yorkshire pudding.

I think it tastes better with a bit of tomato purée in it. So stewing steak, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, parsnips, onion, tomato purée and an organic beef Kallo stock cube. I usually just chuck it all in the instant pot and pressure cook it for 30 mins.

Another one from NI and I was going to sayyou're all crazy with your fancy stew recipes! My mum is from Fermanagh and she makes stew with mince. I use beef cubes as DH doesn't eat mince. Beef, potatoes, carrots, onions and stock all in a big stock pot and slow cook until ready. Key is not to use too much water.

Wingedharpy it really would!

I use braising steak or good quality steak pieces which I brown in casserole.using some oil. Make sure dish is hot as you want to sear the meat and get that brown crust which adds flavour. Not hot enough and the meat will steam and will affect the flavour. Remove meat and add some more oil and some butter. Add chopped onion and casserole veg. Carrots turnips and leeks. Saute until veg has softened. Any crust on bottom of dish will now be Now add meat back into dish along with any juices. I use Guinness along with some Lea & Perrins and also mushroom ketchup. Simmer slowly on top of stove though you can put in oven. I sometimes add shallots or small baby onions. You can also add mushrooms about 1 hour or half an hour before the end. I thicken it with bisto or you could use butter mixed with flour. A beurre something or other. I serve it with creamy mash and it does taste better the next day.
My mum used to do a pot roast in Guinness with chunky veg. Loved it growing up.

I do make beef stew regularly. The thing that makes real difference for me is to cook onions until really soft and dark brown almost melting. And add port. Devine.

I also make stew with mince with onion and a packet of carrots and swedes cut up fine. Again I use Guinness. Cooks quickly and is delicious served again with creamy mash or champ. I also might serve with cabbage. I like to have something green on my plate as well.

@banjaxxed, may I suggest potato starch as a thickening agent rather than cornflour? It holds its viscosity much better than cornflour. You can find it in Asian supermarkets. May even be in the world food aisle of a standard supermarket too.

Basic chicken stew, use bone in this, take the skin off, brown the chicken in some olive oil remove the chicken and set aside, soften a couple of sliced leeks, carrots, parsnips, Swede all peeled and chopped throw the chicken back in with sage and thyme from the garden (just tie it into a bunch), add a load of chicken stock, simmer very slowly for many hours, take the chicken out and remove from the bone while you're doing that throw in some peeled chopped potatoes, top up the water and turn the heat up a bit, throw the now boneless chicken back in for the last five minutes of the potatoes cooking and add some more fresh herbs if you like, remember to take out the initial bunch before serving! Years like a chicken roast in a bowl

Beef similar method but use floured seasoned braising steak and rosemary and thyme instead, same veg, after veg is softened I add a splash of lea and Perrin's, some horse radish and a bottle of good ale then beef stock, either do potatoes near the end or dumplings. Yes always tastes better the next day. The beef I sometimes do with less liquid and put a pie crust on top

I also cook big pots of goulash, chicken parikash, curries (lamb saag with chickpeas is house favourite), brisket chilli etc which essentially all work on a slow stewing method.

@Chicchicchicchiclana

Ask in the food and recipes topic why don't you.

Oh give over I'm loving the different variations people have. You don't have to comment

Tomatoes make it a casserole to me!

Cassoulet is basically bean with a fatty cut of meat or sausages cooked in them, it's not really a stew. French stew is called daube, it's beef cooked slowly in big pieces with celery, onion and carrots, bacon cubes, red wine, and a strip of orange peel and sometimes olives. It's fab.

I get some good beef and dice it and brown it then simmer it in a couple of glasses of red wine until it's more sticky than anything then leave it for a bit.

I dice a couple of big onions and caramelise them.

Carrots (circles NEVER sticks!)

A few shallots.

Whatever else I have - swede, turnip, honey roasted parsnips are rather tasty in a stew believe it or not.

I then stir water back into the beef and wine and tip the lot into the casserole dish.

Then it's chuck in the seasoning time. Fresh basil, salt, pepper, onion salt, maybe paprika if I've got any. That all goes into the oven.

I cube some potatoes, boil them for a few minutes then toss them in oil and cook them in the oven until they are lightly browned and smell like chips.

They then go into the stew and it goes back in the oven until it smells done.

Bit of cornflour if it is too watery.

I'm not a fancy cook nor an organised one. More like throw it in and hope for the best