To ask you how I can fix this?

[gchali]

I think I've had a cooking disaster

I just put a beef stew on low in my slow cooker to cook overnight and the recipe said to add 5tbsp of flour which I did, but now the stew is an awful pale colour and I don't know how to fix it

Can I salvage it or is it ruined? I've tried to Google it but it's not giving me any answers.

You heathens! How can you not know about gravy browning!!
My Welsh Valleys Mam would be outraged!!

How do you get your proper gravy brown then?

Vegetarian Gravy
Melt butter or equivalent in a pan (if my Nan was showing you how much she used her thumb)
(You can add onions at this stage for sausages and mash gravy)
Add flour, make a roux
Cook over gentle heat for a little minute
Add water from cooked vegetables bit by bit so it doesn't go lumpy
(Or blitz with stick blender esp if GF Flour!)
Add more boiling water til you have enough gravy
Add vegetable stack cubes, half teaspoon of Marmite and GRAVY BROWNING!
(Do not add loads or you have to tell the woman you are trying to impress that Jus Noir is the latest thing!#)

Bring to boil and simmer for a few minutes
Keep tasting to check it's just right
If it is perfect the cook can sneakily put some in a bowl and dip bread in it!)

There you are, Welsh Valleys gravy!

#this happened 22 years ago and I still get the tremors, no Valley girl would choose a partner who made awful gravy

I've never used gravy browning in my life as I've never needed it.

I've tasted it again and it just tastes.. odd? I don't know I can't put my finger on it just doesn't taste beefy!?

I think the suggestion to add marmite or bovril is a good one. Or a jelly beef stock cube (or two) if you’ve got some.

Oxo cubes?

I only have beef stock cubes, will this work? I'm gutted as I actually wanted to make a pie with it but I'm not sure it's going to work now

Add some bovril to give beefy flavour

It tastes really salty

Yes, add one or two stock cubes to get some more flavour in.

Or you could discard the liquid and make up a gravy instead for your pie.

Oh don’t put any more stock cubes in then! They will make it more salty.

@Ninkanink I just added another one. Think I might just bin it

Tbh it sounds as if you’re really not happy with it. So I’d admit defeat and go to plan b:

Make up a big portion of gravy. Sauté some onions til golden and soft and add to the gravy. Add the meat and whatever veg you were planning to add and make your pie as normal.

Don’t throw the meat away - you can salvage that for sure!

Don’t bin it!!

Go for other PP’s suggestions and keep the meat, just make up a new batch of gravy and add the meat to it!

Put a cut up raw potato in it and leave for a couple of hours then take out and discard the potato. Should draw out some of the saltiness. You could then add a large tablespoon of tomato puree to add some sweetness to balance things out. Don't throw it out - such a waste of food.

To clarify: leave it cooking with the potato in then take the potato out.

Keep the meat, ditch the sauce, then make a new sauce with some nice onions cooked in butter, a bay leaf and a few sprigs of thyme until caramelised, then stir in a tablespoon of flour and a tablespoon of tomato paste. Cook out the flour for a few minutes, then add a slug of red wine and some beef or veg stock, and simmer to reduce to the desired consistency. You can add a spoonful of mustard if you want a kick. Pick out the bay leaf, add you meat to the sauce, done!

@IamEarthymama

You heathens! How can you not know about gravy browning!! My Welsh Valleys Mam would be outraged!!

How do you get your proper gravy brown then?

Vegetarian Gravy
Melt butter or equivalent in a pan (if my Nan was showing you how much she used her thumb)
(You can add onions at this stage for sausages and mash gravy)
Add flour, make a roux
Cook over gentle heat for a little minute
Add water from cooked vegetables bit by bit so it doesn't go lumpy
(Or blitz with stick blender esp if GF Flour!)
Add more boiling water til you have enough gravy
Add vegetable stack cubes, half teaspoon of Marmite and GRAVY BROWNING!
(Do not add loads or you have to tell the woman you are trying to impress that Jus Noir is the latest thing!#)

Bring to boil and simmer for a few minutes
Keep tasting to check it's just right
If it is perfect the cook can sneakily put some in a bowl and dip bread in it!)

There you are, Welsh Valleys gravy!

#this happened 22 years ago and I still get the tremors, no Valley girl would choose a partner who made awful gravy

Another girl from a Welsh Valley here, there is a bottle of gravy browning in my cupboard and I use it once or twice a week!!! My gran taught me how to make proper gravy, no bisto in her house!

There is nothing better than a good homemade gravy/sauce! I’m hungry now...and I miss my grandmother...

Petitmum
Of course you go!
I buy 2 bottles at a time from our local butchers as I panic about not being able to get any more.

There's nothing like someone saying, Oh this is the best gravy ever when eating their Sunday Dinner!
Do you make extra to freeze?
There is always a tub or two in the freezer in case of emergency pie and chips.

See what it's like at the end of cooking. DON'T add bisto or other gravy granules, they will make it too thick. Taste it - if it isn't too salty and still needs colour add bovril. It will add a nice beefy flavour and give it colour.

I really look forward to Nov/Dec and Christmas/NY feasting as it’s generally the only time we make proper gravy - the rest of time time we just have jus (which I love, so I’m not complaining! But there is something special about a lovingly prepared homemade gravy...). I might get some browning this year and make it just like my grandmother did.

A dash of dark soy sauce and a squeeze of tomato purée always works well.

@IamEarthymama I always have leftover gravy in the freezer! When we go to MIL I always make the gravy.........lol

Gravy making is an art.

@gchali have you managed to salvage it to your satisfaction? I hope so!

Let us know how it went.