Just the weather for stew

Pennylane

I make loads of stews and casseroles but the family's all time favourite is one I've been doing for donkeys years, called
:j Tender Beef Casserole.:j

I use just over a pound of stewing steak or skirt cut into cubes.
Seal in frying pan.
Stir in about 1 oz of plain flour or cornflour and seasoning. Gradually add about 1 pint of stock (I use 2 x red Oxo cubes). Bring to boil.

Chop up one large onion, couple of carrots, 3 slices celery. Peel a few large potatoes and cut into approx 1" cubes. Chop some fresh parsley. Put the lot in a large casserole dish and pour in all the meat & stock. Give a good mix around. Add a heaped teaspoon of made mustard and 2 or 3 tablespoons of vinegar. Put lid on and place in heated oven (180C) for 1.5-2 hours.

If you like dumplings, add them in about 20 minutes before end of cooking time.

I've never fed a person yet who has not loved this and it's so easy to make. The vinegar makes the meat SO tender.

gingin_2

piggeh wrote: »

With it getting colder, I feel like a nice stew, although I've never made one before so a bit stuck on where to begin! I saw the following recipe:

http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/meat-recipes/jools-s-favourite-beef-stew

Which seems ok, except:

a)It has butternut squash in - I think it's quite expensive from what I recall, so is there a good replacement or maybe just upping the other contents (ie an extra parsnip etc)
b)half a pint of stock - how do you make half a pint of stock? Obviously I have stock cubes but thats about as much as a know.

Also how long does it normally keep, and can you freeze it? And any alternative recipes welcome Thanks

I had some stewing steak ready to cook for tonight's meal and decided to follow your link, so thankyou. I used a whole 69p squash from aldi to bulk it out, had no parsnips or small potatoes, so left those out. Had no fresh sage so used dried and didn't feel like doing the lemon zest and rosemary thing at the end, so added a strip of orange rind and a handful of dried mushrooms to the pot and it smells amazing! My half a pint of stock = a good slosh of water (think of a mugful) with one stock cube crumbled into the pot, and my hand slipped when the red wine went in . I very rarely measure my ingredients, unless I am baking and I can't remember the last time I followed a recipe to the letter. I just kind of go with the flow, follow my instincts, and it tends to work.

We are going to scoff it later with roasties and red cabbage, but it would taste better if left til tomorrow so it can marinade in it's own juices. I will freeze half of ours, but it should be okay in your fridge for 3 days.

honeyD

Hello,
For the first time this week I made stew from scratch! It tasted lovely lol.
I am wanting to find out what other people put in their stew. I really liked mine and would like to make it again but dont want to be eating it the same everytime and have no idea how to change it up to give a different taste.
In mine I had: Carrot, Potato, Peas, Lentils, Onion, Garlic, Celery, Corn and a couple of Oxo Vegetable cubes.
Does anyone have any stew recipe they would share with me?
Im a bit of a novice when it comes to making things from scratch and want to start doing this more often so I can freeze it as buying processed food costs way too much and isnt good for you!
I prefer vegetarian stew but if the meat can be added/removed and its still good that would be fine as my Husband eats meat, but I dont.
I just odered my groceries and got some broccoli, cauliflower and brussel sprouts for a winter vegetable stew thing so I hope that would be nice!
I would be grateful for any advice or recipes of your own.
Thankyou!

Butterfly_Brain

I make various variations on a stew but a favourite is Stewing steak, carrots, a sliced onion or two, sweetcorn, mushrooms and a bottle of guinness - the guiness makes a lovely rich gravy

Olliebeak

I did Oxtail pieces in the Slow Cooker and it was so good, that it's definitely going to be a regular winter recipe now.

Oxtail pieces browned first, chunks of carrot, diced swede, chunks of parsnip, chopped onions, remnants of spring onions (only to use them up), couple of beef oxos and 1 veg oxo, dried mixed herbs some boiling water. Left in Slow Cooker for about 10 hours - could be done on the hob as well.

tandraig

you can replace one of the oxo cubes with booze! good ones for stew are - Newcastle Brown Ale or Guiness - white wine goes with chicken red wine with dark meats. either with vegetable stews.
more veg ideas - leeks, swede, parsnips, sweet potato (but it breaks up quickly so dont add it until about half hour before serving) cabbage and almost any other root veg.Pulses - canneloni beans,haricot beans butter beans, red kidney beans, (be careful here as they are poisonous if not pretreated - canned ones are safe tho)
you can also add tinned tomatoes or squirt of tomato puree. add different herbs such as thyme, bay leaf, marjoram, oregano or dried mixed herbs
the list is almost endless - experiment - note down what you have put in and if you really like it ! then you can recreate it or avoid the tastes you didnt like.

honeyD

I would like to use swede in a stew but Husband isnt too keen on adding it lol, I might just add it slyly. I also have only had parsnip once years ago and didnt like it much but I think I may try that sometime and see how it is in a stew.

dexter_fan

As well as the meat, and the main root veggies already mentioned, I add a couple of tins of soup (tomato or oxtail) and a can of guiness. The potatoes I cut both small and large. the small pieces gradually break down and thicken the 'gravy' nicely.
I cook slowing in the oven all day, and it's such a great smell when I get in from work. Yum

lickylonglips

i like dried kidney beans and chick peas, onion, carrots, swede, potatoes, chicken stock cubes, dried herbs, garlic powder, good squirt of tomato puree and water... sometimes add courgettes, peppers, or whatever veg i've got that needs using... sometimes add some chilli flakes or add some milk add the end of cooking..

sandiep

Red onion, Beef, Mushrooms, bit of red pepper, and half a bottle of red wine!!