How do I make my beef stew tasty

[ouch321]

Tried making beef stew and dumplings in my slow cooker crockpot. But it comes out a bit bland.
Do you have suggestions to improve?

Currently...

• sliced carrot
• diced beef
• sliced onion
• dissolved stock cube/s

Left on slow for c8 hours and then I put the dumplings in for an hour or less at the end.

It just tastes a bit bland at the end.

What would make it better?

@Samtsirch They dont even have to be the slow cooker ones 😉

@userxx
Lol, you have opened up a whole new world of possibilities for me 😂

I cook mine in gravy instead of just stock

Also a generous teaspoon of mild German mustard (or sweet Bavarian mustard) works lovely.

I second marmite, but I think all slow cooker food tastes the same and bland. Not sure why though 🤔

cumin & coriander

Miso paste or Sumac if you have them

Mustard, good strong English one.

Marmite. Makes all the difference

Brown the meat, sweat the onions, carrots celery. Tomato puree ( cook for 2 minutes) red wine, stockcube, bay, large handful of herbs, mustard and redcurrant jelly. Secret ingredient while no one is looking - tin of finely chopped anchovies. It makes beef taste more beefy. It does not taste fishy at all.

I put meat& onions in first with a little oil & no water! with spices mix & salt together & leave for one hour than add veg mix with meat & more spice & herbs & a little water & tom puree about a desert spoonful. mix again maybe a little more oil than leave - I reckon about 4 or 5 hours
The mistake I think people make is to put a lot of water in - you need tobe more sparing with water perhaps a table spoon or so - you can always add some at the end & add more herbs (rosemary & thyme are great) about 15 mins before the end

2 tbsp of marmite?? Won't that make it taste of marmite (not envy).

Wow that does sound very bland and watery!

I put potatoes in my stew aswell as carrots and leeks and cabbage. I use steak seasoning to cover the beef in first. Oxo cube, salt, pepper and garlic Powder. Squeeze of tomato purée and a spoon of gravy powder to thicken abit. My stew is the most flavoursome stew ive ever tasted. Always add seasoning and herbs to a stew or it will taste like a watery mess!

Do you sear the meat and fry off the veg before putting in the slow cooker? That adds a lot of flavour. I also add red wine after this, let it bubble for a few mins then add the stock (add extra cube if not tasty enough) before adding to the slow cooker.

Slow cooker food is bland because of the lack of caramelisation at the start. Slow cooker fans will disagree, of course. Bung in flavourings as suggested above. Salt. I’ll see if I can find a well known video for you.

I made this recipe and it was really tasty : https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/beef-vegetable-casserole

I found this recipe a few weeks ago. I've made it twice now, and it's a big hit here.

damndelicious.net/2016/10/07/slow-cooker-beef-stew/

www.seriouseats.com/2014/01/ask-the-food-lab-can-i-make-stock-in-a-pressure-cooker-slow-cooker.html

In the slow cooker I add dollop of easy garlic (from jar), spoonful mustard, bit of chili, beef oxo 2 or 3, bisto caramelised gravy granules.

Will have to try some of these suggestions as my stews are a bit bland.

Do you have to use a slow cooker? I stopped using ours as everything tasted bland from it. I always do stews now in a pan that goes both on the hob and in the oven - start it al over with the browning and softening on the hob then cook on 80-90C in the oven.

Along with the tips above about adding flavour, this gets brilliant results.

I use this one. No browning
I do add mushrooms, a tiny bit of marmite and an oxo cube
https://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/beef-recipes/beef-and-ale-stew/

Everything is bland and overcooked in a slow cooker!

Oven cooked, slowly, is so much better for flavour

Shallots

Oxtail soup is always in mine thickens and adds flavour