Beef stew

[lemonbiscuit]

What’s your go to recipe for beef stew? I made one tonight with pale ale, carrots, parsnips and mushrooms, but it was OK, but the pale ale gave it a bit of bitterness that was a bit unpleasant. So I’m looking for a recipe that gives the stew a really nice rich flavour without any bitterness. Thanks!

[fieryginger]

I flash fry beef, onions, leeks and courgettes till they have colour, if it's about I might put a slug of sherry in, but it doesn't matter if you don't. Then add the water and 3 or 4 beef stock cubes. I add carrots, parsnips and potatoes and boil then till soft. Season with pepper. Then simmer for an hour or so. Sometimes I might add a little cornflour to thicken it.

This is a recipe I've used for 30 years. My one son likes it blended to a soup. I cook it in a massive stock pot and leave it on the hob overnight, second day, it's more delicious than the first. It's great knowing you don't have to cook, just warm it up.

[kateandme]

always make sure you coo nd soften down the celery carrots onions and garlic first.give it such a rich flavour
always add a sprinkling of sugar to take away bitterness of tomato tomatos.
worcestshire sauce
bisto granules and bisto gravy powder
coat the beef in flour first for thicker unctuous stew.
very rarely alcohol actually because here when alcohol is opened its consumed and never spared for cooking!
when you put them meat in let it sti and borwn slowly don't shove it around or keep stiring it as this causes water leakage and battered untender meat.

[AdoraBell]

DeRigueur I’m salivating at that roast chicken description.

[exLtEveDallas]

Beef stock, tablespoon tomato purée, tablespoon brown sugar, salt and pepper.

Beef, floured, fried off then into the pot

Potatoes, Carrots, swede, onion, peas, celery, broad beans, butter beans.

Bring to boil then low oven for at least 4 hours.

Green veg (sprouts, broccoli, cabbage) an hour before the end.

Parsley dumplings 30 mins before the end & uncover the pot.

Serve with hot crusty buttered rolls.

Heaven.

[ikltownofboothlehem]

Just to totally screw with some posters - I put a couple of tablespoons of pickled silverskin onions in mine 😄

[AdoraBell]

I haven’t made a beef stew in years. Can’t actually remember how I used to make it

My mother used to use celery salt to enhance the flavour. Other than that it was onion, carrots, potatoes and stock cubes.

I want beef stew now.

[RCohle]

I much prefer beef stews made with ale or red wine. Those made with just stock tend to be a bit bland I find. Obviously Zulor the international arbiter of stew would disagree.

I think the bitterness OP will have been due to using IPA rather than a darker beer. I also find adding onions and / or a tablespoon of tomato purée helps.

[tentative3]

Casserole rather than stew:

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1940689/beef-and-vegetable-casserole-

I replace most of the stock with wine. Recipe works well with chicken too.

[Littlelambpeep]

Just to jump in (I'm half asleep) a few parsnips really add a nice sweetness to a stew

That's my tuppence worth now I will leave the thread as it's getting a bit ... shall I say.. frosty

[DeRigueurMortis]

Tarragon is a bit (only a bit) aniseed flavoured.

It's a hard flavour to describe but it's fabulous with chicken.

You can also do the chicken dish below but with fresh orange juice (just reduce it by half by boiling in a pan and use instead of stock). Use chicken thighs and brown them first - get the skin really golden and don't let the sauce you add sit over the skin, just up the sides of the chicken. Finish with sour cream rather than double cream. It sounds like a complicated dish "chicken with orange and tarragon" but it's super easy. Nice with rice this one and good way of cooking for a crowd if want something different but easy (and cost effective) Looks pretty on the plate when decorated with orange segments and the tarragon leaves if you want to "posh it up".

Should suit you Zulor - chicken, shallots, tarragon, sour cream, orange juice - 5 ingredients (though do remember to use salt and pepper!)

[notangelinajolie]

Yes to tomato puree. I also put a dash or brown sauce in there too and also a couple of oxo cubes and lots of black pepper.

[Zulor]

You should write a 'cooking for dummies' recipe book. I'd buy it!

[Zulor]

I've done the lemon up the ass/cavity chicken! It was gorgeous!
I don't know the flavour of tarragon though.

[CarrieBlu]

I wouldn’t turn down an invite to your house for dinner DeRigueurMortis

[DeRigueurMortis]

No not an expert- just love cooking and had great teachers in my Mum and Grandmother.

A really quick "stew" is chicken and tarragon.

Brown your chicken, remove from pan, lightly brown shallots/or onions and garlic. Deglaze pan with white wine and then add chicken stock( or forgo the wine and use stock only). Add chicken, veg back in, cook for about 10 mins till chicken is cooked through. Add tarragon (not too much, it's a strong flavour, so taste as you go). Add a bit of cream to finish and season with salt and pepper. If not using wine you might need to add a bit of lemon juice to balance the flavours.

Done in 20 mins. Serve with rice or veg of choice.

I also use tarragon when I roast chickens - I shove a bunch into the cavity with garlic and a whole lemon (You don't need to peel the garlic cloves, just add about 5 and simply pierce the lemon a few times with a knife). Just roast as normal but when done slightly mash what's in the cavity and tip it out into the roasting pan and with some stock you have a lovely herb/lemon/garlic gravy.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

Delia Smith peppered beef casserole is one of the nicest around. Very simple, very effective

[CarrieBlu]

And? You were clearly being goady. It’s fucking beef stew, it’s not your business to tell other people they’re wrong to make it how they like it.

And I’m still waiting to find out where my children come into this. Or were you just trying to be goady there too Zulor?

There’s another thread running at the moment about all the weird and wonderful concoctions that people enjoy making and eating. You should go on there and tell them that they’re all wrong to eat what they enjoy too.

[Zulor]

Her username is Halfwit

[Zulor]

De Rigeur
You sound like a bloody expert. I wouldn't know what herbs go with what ale/wine?, Though I do tend to throw parsley into stew or casseroles. But I don't really venture outwards from what I know works.

[CarrieBlu]

I have no issue with basic cooking, I have an issue with you telling other people that they’re wrong to cook the things that they enjoy and calling them halfwits.

[DeRigueurMortis]

I'm not concerned Carrie - I'm a regular on AIBU and FWR .

Food and recipes isn't going to be much of a problem for me and my frying pan to bat back snarkiness

And thank you - it is very tasty. The red wine one is really just Boeuf Bourguignon, the Guinness one just an alcohol laced version of beef stew.

Lovely at this time of year!

[Zulor]

Well I can't advocate for English cooking, can I?
If you don't like my very simple recipe, knock yourself out!

[CarrieBlu]

Watch out DeRigueurMortis, Zulor will be coming for you next.

Your non-basic beef stew sounds delicious by the way.

[CarrieBlu]

So being Irish and residing in Italy for a period of time makes you the voice of authority on beef stew.

Alrighty then.

[DeRigueurMortis]

Tbh I tend to use red wine or Guinness but Zulor is right that a basic stew just needs stock and no alcohol.

Key tips from me are:

• I add bacon/pancetta to the pan first and cook it out to release the fat, remove then use that to brown the beef (adding a bit of beef dripping if needed).

• brown the beef properly. Don't overload the pan, cook in batches and get it a really dark "crust", probably darker than you might think.

• use the alcohol to deglaze the pan or the stock if not using booze.

• use a really good beef stock, if it's bitter using beer it might be you're using too much and need more stock instead or you might prefer none at all. I used to make my own but tbh the fresh stock (in pouches) you can buy now in most supermarkets is really good so I don't bother so much now. If using wine then reverse, you need more than a glassful - I generally chuck in most of the bottle, at lest half, depending on how much meat I have.

• I keep it simple on the veg (onion/celery/then carrots or mushrooms- i use carrots with Guinness and mushrooms with red wine) I might add potato's for the last 25 mins if I want to serve it "soup style' with crusty bread. But mostly I'll serve with a jacket potato or mash and some green beans/broccoli.

• Herbs, well I freestyle a bit, but tend to throw in parsley or chervil as a matter of course, then thyme or rosemary (the former with red wine, the latter with the Guinness only).

• garlic yes with red wine, but leave it out for Guinness or basic stew.

• so I cook the bacon/pancetta, brown the beef, then brown (lightly) the veg. Deglaze the pan, Chuck everything back in. Cook for 2 and a half hours in the oven or 45 mins in my pressure cooker. Add potatoes (if using) cook another 25 mins till tender (this also reduces the sauce if using pressure cooker as you do this but not under pressure), thicken with a little flour slurry if needed, cook flour out, then serve.

• I do dumplings as well with a basic non alcoholic stew but have typed enough and cba to do a dumpling recipe