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I'm cooking for a raft of people on Sunday and need to make a long and slow stew on Friday or Saturday so gimme your favourites that are more than just stock, carrot and mushrooms (I can do that one). It should be beef or pork (preferably beef) and can be served with potatoes, rice (if we're going chinese beef) or crusty bread.
Shin, if you are going to really cook it slow and long (as in hours). Cheap as chips and a big risk to take as if not cooked right it can be really hard work (in other words chewy as hell 🙂 ). But done well it is simply the most delicious stewed part of the whole cow. Other than that just add what ever you want. It is a stew after all.
Not much help really 🙂
I've never thought that pork works brilliantly for that kind of stew. I'd go boeuf bourgignon.
As above, shin is brilliant.
Garlic and onion in a big cast iron pot, doesn't have tobp be a French one...
Then add cubed shin, brown that off.
Couple of spoons of plain flour, stir in and cook for a couple of minutes. Add some chopped carrots and half a bottle or so of decent, sturdy red and a good dollop of L&P.
A little salt and pepper, some mixed herbs, a bay leaf or two and a decent stock cube.
Slow cook for at least 7hrs and up to 12. Low oven setting.
Serve with dumplings.
Yes, it's plain old stoo, but that's what stoo should be! Heartwarming storage.
Bit of cinnamon and balsamic vinegar
Why make stew when you can make a steak pie instead?
Greek stifado (fnar) is always good.
Use Popeyese cuts if you are short for time.
We use it in combination with other cuts like short rib and shin/neck if we are eating it across the course of a week gradually eating the tougher bits as they get tender.
Beef for me but I got given pheasant at the weekend and whilst I’m not usually a fan that made an epic stew.
As captain said, but ditch his lee and persons and add a tablespoon or two of smoked parika. Funkys balsamic is a good call too.
Pork stews are ace. We are working our way through a whole pig, so a favourite of ours is slow cooked pork in milk. Shoulder is good, or any joint on the bone.
You just need milk, garlic, lemon and thyme. It makes the pork nice and sweet, then the sauce can be thickened for a lemony fragrant gravy.
Beef Bourguignon is one of my faves and is a piece of piss. It develops a deep flavour and you will e licking the pan after everyone has gone home.
Beef you choose - any chunks will do, steak, stewing, brisket whatever.
Bacon smoked or unsmoked, I prefer to use unsmoked streaky as the fat is an important ingredient here.
Shallots, or small onions and garlic
A bottle of red wine.
Flour
Butter and olive oil
Fresh Thyme if you can get it
Salt n Pepa
1) Salt and pepper the beef
2)Get a big stew pot with a lid.
Tablespoon of olive oil, coat the pan bottom and sides.
Melt the butter in the oil, crack in some thyme.
2) Get it medium hot, not quite smoking. Brown off the beef- just sear the outsides, don't over expose the meat to high heat, do not cook it through. Remove with slotted spoon into a bowl.
3) Fry the bacon and the onions in the same pan (I sometimes add mushrooms if I am feeling fruity..) Get the bacon crispy and some nice brown edges on the onions. Lots of brown bits will stick to the pan. This is a good thing.
Edit -I forgot the garlic, add this in close to the end f the bacon cooking as I don't like browned garlic. You can add it earlier if you like but I think it goes bitter when you brown it and I won't be coming over if you do.
Add in the beef, reduce the temp to low/med
4) Whack in some flour 1-2 tablespoons, I use plain white. Just get everything coated and it soaks up the oil/fat. Heat gently for 2-3mins.
5) Pour in the wine, have half a glass yerself. Stir it in under low medium heat, use it to wash the sides of the pan and scrape all the bits in. It will gradually thicken up, keep stirring gently.
6) Get it bubbling gently on a low heat for 5 mins. Then put it on a diffuser or very low heat, or in the oven at 140c for a few hours, check every 30 mins and stir, scrape the edges.
7) Serve with mash and green beans. I like cheesy mash, 250g minimum of grated cheese stirred into the mash, you can crisp the top if you put it in the oven or under the grill, I baste with a bit of butter to help the crisp along.
I am hungry now.
We regularly do beef curry or chilli slow cooked in the oven. Coming home from a long ride or dog walk to the smell of dinner is great.
I find chorizo works well in a beef stew. It's also nice to blitz the leftovers and have as a thick soup + sourdough bread
Brisket, cheap and doesn't need as long as shin.
Shoulder steaks of pork, browned and laid in the bottom of a slow cooker.
Cover with caramelised onions and some fried lardons. A layer of sliced & peeled & cored cooking apples. Cover with layers of thinly sliced potato. Pour in 50:50 mx of apple juice and dry cider. Well seasoned. Slow cook, and finish under the grill.
Beef brisket.
Delia's braised beef goulash with smoked pimenton done in the slow cooker is always a winner in winter
Jamie Oliver - Jools’ favourite stew. Easy and always good.