Stew recipes

[nygrl232]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 1:52pm

I don't know why, but stew is not easy for me to make. I haven't attempted a stew in while, and I'd like to try one.

Does anyone have a stew recipe they enjoy? I'm an omnivore, so whatever you like, I'll probably like.

We really should release a BWW recipe book at some point. And maybe a sexy calendar, but that's going off tangent.

Thanks for any lovely culinary suggestions!

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 2:08pm

It's actually one of the easiest things to cook, esp. with a slow cooker. Basic Recipe for beef stew:

Exact measurements not important at all. Just gauge by how many servings you want.

Stew beef (or chicken, or other meat), cut in lg chunks.
Cut in 1/4s a couple of potatoes
Cut 1-2 carrots into large pieces
Cut in 1/4s a large onion
Peel a coupla garlics. Smash. Throw in.

Pour in a little 1-2C-1Cup water or, stock, bit of wine, or a bit of tomato sauce or canned tomatos, if you like a tomato base, just so there's a little liquid in the bottom. Place the POTATOS in first.

Add frozen peas (at the end, though). Last 10-15 minutes.

Add herbs of your choice. I like Paprika, dash of Cumin, Bay Leaf.

Add a very small amount of kosher salt, tasting at the end to see if you need more. Don't over salt, 'cause then you can't really fix it.

Also, feel free to throw into whatever kind of veggies, or meat, or chicken, or potatos that you like. It's practically foolproof.

Throw EVERYTHNG into the slow cooker. Turn on Low. Go out of the house. Come back 6-8 hours later - RE-SEASON to your liking. Add parsley to garnish if you like it.

Voila! Finished.


Updated On: 4/21/11 at 02:08 PM

Posted: 4/21/11 at 2:54pm

My only suggestions- Potatoes add nothing flavor-wise- boil them on their own rather than in the stew pot.

And don't add water- again, it adds nothing to the flavor- use stock, a can of vegetable or onion soup if you must, wine, tomato juice, beer- anything is better than water.

And go wild with root vegetables- carrots, turnips, rutabaga, parsnips and onions, onions, onions!

[nygrl232]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 3:08pm

Thanks!! Om nom nom.

Stew is allegedly easy, but I usually manage to make them too watery. Trial and error.

Should get a slow cooker...

Posted: 4/21/11 at 4:36pm

If you use stock, any liquid left behind should be tasty enough to enjoy- I like it a bit sloppy. Make some biscuits to sop up the gravy- or noodles!

And when your stew is done stewing, take about a half cup of water (Or a little more stock) and 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch and mix them together. Stir that slurry into the liquid and let it simmer a couple minutes- presto- there's gravy!

A slow cooker is virtually foolproof. Put it all in (use very little stock- a cup is MORE than enough)there, cover it and put it on low all day. Then thicken it as above. Mmmmmmmmk! Nothing like coming home on a cold wet day to a warm pot of stew.

[nygrl232]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 5:05pm

Am hungry now. :)

Are all slow cookers pretty much the same, ya think?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 5:45pm

My 6 year old granddaughter is turning into a gourmet chef. She's constantly going through magazines to get new recipes. Here's one she found and made for her mother's birthday. It's a PORK AND SWEET POTATO STEW. If a 6 year old can prepare this (with only minimal adult supervision), then you should have no problem making it. Enjoy! It's delicious!

1 2-1/2- to 3-lb. pork loin, cut into 1-1/4- to 1-1/2-inch cubes
• 3 to 4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 to 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 14-oz. can chicken broth
• 1 10-oz. bottle apple-cranberry juice
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-1/4-inch cubes
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. snipped fresh sage
• Grated fresh nutmeg
• Fresh sage leaves
directions
1. Sprinkle pork lightly with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Place flour in a large bowl; add pork and toss to coat. In a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add half the pork; brown on all sides. Remove. Repeat with 1 tablespoon oil and remaining pork. Remove pork from pan.
2. Add remaining tablespoon oil to pan along with onion and celery; cook 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Stir in garlic. Sprinkle with any remaining flour; stir to coat. Slowly stir in broth, juice, and 1 cup water. Return pork to pan; add sweet potatoes and sage. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and cook 20 to 25 minutes more until potatoes and pork are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. To serve, top with nutmeg and fresh sage leaves. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
nutrition facts
• Calories481,
• Total Fat (g)24,
• Saturated Fat (g)7,
• Monounsaturated Fat (g)12,

(You might want to skip the nutmeg)

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 6:15pm

I have some good ones I'll have to dig up for you, but just chiming in now to say get a slow cooker. I have a weird obsession with kitchen gadgets, but my crock pot is by far my favorite. It's like a magical food fairy.

[jasonf]

Posted: 4/21/11 at 8:42pm

We make a great stew in our slow cooker also - it makes the house smell amazing. It's basically the same as the first recipe in the thread - we use the sherry wine you can get at any grocery store and serve over egg noodles - it's fantastic.

Posted: 4/22/11 at 11:07pm

I've had several different slow cookers and could not think of a bad one. I say get the biggest one- make big batches and freeze the leftovers!

My current favorite thing is pulled pork in the Slow cooker: Buy the cheapest pork roast you can find and put it in your slow cooke with some chopped onions, garlic, lots of black pepper and some seasoned salt. Slow cook on low all day till it's just falling apart. Drain off all the juice and use tongs or a pair of forks to pull it apart into shreds. Add your favorite BBQ sauce and voila!

When I see pork roast on sale, I buy one or two cook them up and freeze the pulled meat in pint containers. 5 minutes in the microwave and a splash of BBQ and you have dinner! (you can use the typical Sweet Baby Rays sweet red sauce or make your own Carolina style with mustard, vinegar and brown sugar- it's good either way. I add some liquid smoke when I start it and you'll think you're in Memphis!)

[jasonf]

Posted: 4/23/11 at 12:02am

We do pulled pork -- chicken works just as well.

Again, makes the house smell AMAZING.

[nygrl232]

Posted: 4/23/11 at 1:48pm

lol, Dollypop--after all that, you recommend skipping the nutmeg. :)

That'd be a nice idea for having friends over--a pork roast with BBQ sauce and veggie sides. I always liked Thanksgiving style stuffing with BBQ food for some reason.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/23/11 at 2:42pm

The reason I mentioned skipping the nutmeg was because when Elizabeth prepared it, she just forgot to sprinkle nutmeg on it (remember she's just 6) and it was perfectly fine.

[nygrl232]

Posted: 4/23/11 at 4:15pm

That is one impressive 6 year old, Dollypop.

Joe, do you use balsamic vinegar for that sauce?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/23/11 at 4:59pm

Yes, Elizabeth is really incredible. She'll borrow my BETTER HOMES AND GARBAGE magazines and go through all the recipes (they have good photos). She'll come back with pages marked and tell me we have to go shopping "for 'gredients". She loves to cook and watches the Food Network religiously.

All of this started when I had her help me grate zucchini.

Now she's planning our vegetable garden. ("That way you have fresh 'gredients all the time")

Posted: 4/23/11 at 5:13pm

I suppose you could- but I do about equal parts of old ballpark mustard, cider vinegar and brown sugar. That seems closest to the sweet/tangy Carolina sauce.

[nygrl232]

Posted: 4/23/11 at 7:44pm

Thanks, Joe. I gotta print all this stuff out...

Dollypop, that doesn't sound normal, but in a good way. Not many kids get that focused on something like that unless they're just ancient souls or something.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/24/11 at 11:53am

When Elizabeth graduated pre-school, her teacher did a video in which she asked each child what they wanted to be when they grew up. Elizabeth responded "A cook" and the teacher asked her why. Elizabeth explained, "Good food makes people happy".

Can't deny that!

[nygrl232]

Posted: 4/24/11 at 4:55pm

That is precious mecious. She sounds like Julia Child reincarnated. Maybe she is. Who knows how all of this works?

[Dollypop]

Posted: 4/24/11 at 8:53pm

Okay, today we had a late Easter dinner. This was my daughter-in-law's first Easter without her father, so they spent the day there and came here for later on. Fine with me. I fully understood. I prepared a baked ham and the fixin's. When Elizabeth discovered that dinner was prepared, she was upset. She likes to preapre at least one dish. However, once she tasted the ham, she became very happy and wanted the recipe. She told me she'd find a way to make it so there was less grizzle. When I was 6 I was lucky I knew what food was, let alone grizzle!

Posted: 4/25/11 at 3:26pm

I'm 49 and have no idea what grizzle is.