Ways to make stew really tasty

[storminabuttercup]

Just that really
I usually brown onions and meat, deglaze with plenty of red wine add stock pots and a couple of bay leaves
Pretty much same every time but sometimes it's just a bit bland. Any top tips please?

It will simply be the quality of the meat, getting good quality stewing steak makes the difference and supermarket offerings are very hit and miss.

I spend about £20 on stewing steak from the butchers per pot of stew which seems a lot but it usually does stew for a family of 4 one night and steak pies the next night. The taste, quality and quantity is incomparable to the rubbery tiny bits of meat you end up with from a supermarket.

I'll also sometime pick up a few marrow bones as well for pennies to chuck in as well.

I brown mine off with a squirt of ketchup and some celery salt. I've a bottle of port that always gets a small glug into a stew as well.

Cook it the day before you are going to eat it. Let it cool in the oven overnight and then reheat the next day to really hot.

It's better the next day - flavours develop more - also true for chilli.

Same here - for beef stew - don't get beef with no fat in it is the first rule - 3 sprigs of rosemary and 1-2 tablespoons of Worcester sauce. Half a tube of tomato purée and 3 teaspoonfuls of whole grain mustard.

And yes I would agree with @nodogz that making it a day ahead does wonders for the flavour as well.

Celery.
Pearl barley.
Red wine stock.

Oh and chuck in a beef stock bone too, filled with marrow.

Chopped anchovies. They disintegrate and don't taste at all fishy just a delicious umami. Worcester sauce contains anchovies for this reason.

My mum always added a tin of baked beans at the end of the cooking time & I now do the same.

I use red wine vinegar, marmite, Worcestershire sauce, stock and oxo cube. Also broth mix or just pearl barley with assorted root veg and beef shin.

Despite loving mushrooms, I never put them in a stew. Might have to try it now.

If it is beef stew add anchovies or worcestershire sauce. They make beef taste more beefy.

Lamb stews add worcestershire sauce or mushroom ketchup.

Also add a bit of tomato paste to the onions & fry for a minute just before you add any liquid

Thank you all for the info

Taste and adapt as you go. I taste and decide what it needs e.g more salt, a dash of tabasco or Worcestershire sauce, a square of dark chocolate is sometimes all that's needed. I find thyme is a good herb to use or rosemary as both have strong flavours

Agree good quality meat, simmer for ages and eat it the day after!

I like to go with some cinnamon, paprika, marjoram, cardamom, Worcester or fish sauce, soy sauce, tomato puree.

You probably need more umami - mushroom, miso, soy, anchovy, a parmesan rind all add this. You can even buy ‘umami paste’ (think it’s a kind of mix up of all this?!).

Many people under salt - but if you’re using stock pots it probably isn’t this.

You need to add some acid at the end - a squeeze of lemon, or a very small dash of a red wine or balsamic vinegar, or sprinkle over some grated lemon rind with eg finely chopped rosemary or other fresh aromatic prior to serving.

Also make sure you are cooking meat for long enough, fatty cuts take an age for the fat to properly render down and if this hasn’t happened that fat not properly dealt with will add to a bland taste.

I always add a whole star anise. I saw Heston do this years ago and it really works. It tastes like traditional stew but adds such depth. I also add a glug of Hendersons Relish (I dint eat seafood so can’t use worcestershire sauce and I think Hendersons is better anyway).

Worcester sauce, bay leaves, garlic, dried mushrooms, red wine, homemade stock, start by frying a mix of celery carrot and onion. I mix English mustard powder in with the dusting flour. Plenty of seasoning. At the end of cooking.....black pepper as a finishing spice and some butter for a glossy gravy.

Drop of tomato puree and HP sauce.

You don't mention veg. Carrots, leeks suede, mushrooms.

Wow so many replies thanks all

Shall give some a go!

Agree re the comments on fat content. If you're using lean meat it's never going to have the flavour you get from proper stewing cuts since most of the flavour is in the fat.

Brown the meat on the highest heat setting so it gets properly brown. If I'm lazy at this stage then the flavour never develops properly. And you have to do it in small batches so it actually seals the meat instead of basically boiling it in the liquid that comes out of the meat (again, higher quality meat is better here too).

If I take the time to do these steps properly - and buy the right meat - then I don't need to add any extra flavours to get a delicious stew.

Put a decent spoonful of mustard in. It's my secret ingredient and DH always says it's nice when I do this. Doesn't seem to matter what type - I've used Colman's, Dijon, even American.

One of those mini pots of tomato purée. Double the amount of onions and spend 40 minutes caramelising them. Dash of vinegar and a pinch of sugar. Spoonful of mild paprika.

Fry off some tomato purée and add it. Frying it makes it less bitter. When you fry the onions add a teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of salt. The sugar helps with the caramelisation. I usually add a tin of tomatoes and a tin of baked beans. I also add a small amount of sweet chilli sauce.