can any 1 tell me how 2 make a good beef stew?

Answer 1

lot's of beef & spices!

Answer 2

I made a beef stew the other day and it was gorgeous. I can't give you the quantities because I just threw it all in a casserole so I guess you adjust to the size of the dish.
Here's what I used:

1 small pack of diced beef
some new potatoes cut into bite sized chunks
1 large carrot sliced
1 leek sliced
1 pouch of beef stock
about 500ml passata
glass of red wine
splash of lea and perrins
splash of tobasco
salt and pepper
a good shake of smoked paprika

I put all the raw/cold ingredients into a casserole, stired it well and out in the oven at about 175 for as long as you can give it, i did about 3 hours. If you need to thicken the gravy up just stir in some granules and give it another ten minutes. You can add whatever you want. Good luck, hope you find something you like x

Answer 3

Make a marinade from red wine, a teaspoon or two of cocoa powder (yes you did read it right - this will add richness, and a slight kick), a couple of teaspoons of dijon mustard, a couple of splashes of worcestershire sauce and salt/pepper. Marinade your beef (nice and lean - cubed steak if you can afford it) for a few hours or overnight, covered, in the fridge. Then to make the stew, firstly make the cooking stock: get a big pan, fill it 2/3 or 3/4 with cold water, add chopped onion, diced carrots, diced s/wede a couple of bay leaves, the stock cube of your choice. and the liquid you were marinating the beef in. Bring it to the boil, then turn down the temperature and simmer, reducing the liquid till the pan is 1/2 full. Whilst the stock is reducing, get a frying pan with a bit of oil in the bottom. Heat it to a med-high temperature, and quickly seal the cubes of beef on all sides (1 or 2 at a time, a couple of seconds on each side ought to do). This will help the beef not to flake, and will keep it juicy. Put it aside on a plate with kitchen roll to drain off the residue of the oil. Then add to the cooking stock and stir. Let it cook until the sauce is rich and thick, and the beef is tender: a couple of hours of gentle simmering with the lid on, stirring occasionally. You can add some boiled potatoes to the stew, also peas, mushrooms, or whatever your favourite veggies are, and let them simmer awhile until they are cooked through. Remove the bay leaves, and if you need to thicken the stew you could use gravy granules, or some cornflour/cold water mixed.

The most important thing about stew is getting the overall process right. Once you're comfortable with that, you can experiment with different meats, herbs/spices and veggies. If you want to make dumplings, then follow the packet mix instructions, keeping them as dry as possibly, but refrigerate them for about 1 hour before placing them gently into the already-thickened stew, placing a tightly-fitting lid on the pan. That way, they won't break down, will keep their shape, float to the top whilst cooking and go lovely and fluffy, staying dry inside. There's nothing worse than soggy dumplings (in terms of dumplings anyway!).

Answer 4

A simple but tasty stew can be made by cubing some stewing steak lightly dust with flour and fry for 5 minutes. Finely chop two onions and add to one pint of water you have dissolved two beef Oxo cubes and add 3/4 sliced or diced carrots and enough potatoes cut into the size you would make them if you were roasting them to fill the pan but still be covered by stock and cook on a low heat for about 2 hours and if you like dumplings add 15/20 minutes before you intend to serve. Try that first and then customize to your hearts content.

Answer 5

This is a Keith Floyd recipe and delicious!!

Preparation time less than 30 mins

Cooking time over 2 hours
Ingredients
750g/1½lb shin of beef or stewing steak
500g/1lb small onions, sliced
40g/1½oz dripping
1 tbsp flour
900ml/1½ pint hot water
salt and freshly ground pepper
500g/1lb carrots, halved lengthways
1 bay leaf
For the dumplings:
175g/6oz self-raising flour
75g/3oz shredded suet
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped
good pinch salt and pepper
water, to mix

Method
1. Remove any gristle and surplus fat from the meat and trim into neat 4cm/1½in cubes.
2. Fry the meat and onions in the dripping until lightly browned all over. Sprinkle in the flour and mix well. Gradually stir in the water and continue stirring until it boils. Season to taste.
3. Cover and simmer very gently for 1 hour. Then add the carrots and bay leaf and simmer for a further hour, when it will be time to add the dumplings.
4. To make the dumplings, sieve the flour into a bowl and add the suet, parsley, salt and pepper. Next add enough water to make a soft but not sticky dough, about 3 tbsp. Lightly flour your hands and roll the dough into eight small balls. Add to the stew and cook for a further 15-20 minutes.

Answer 6

Ingredients
1 small pack of stewing steak cubed, 1 large carrot sliced, 1 small or 1/2 a swede diced small, 1 leek sliced, 1 small turnip diced, 2 sticks of celery cut into short pieces, 1 small tin of new potatoes, 2 tins of oxtail soup, 1 tin Campbells condensed tomato soup, 2 oxo cubes.
Method
Put everything except the potatoes into a slow cooker, cook on the highest setting for 3 hours, add the potatoes without the water, and cook for a further 30 mins. During the last 20 mins, add dumplings if liked.
(it is possible to buy dumpling mix if you are not able to make your own, and they are just as good). Serve with some crusty rolls or bread.

Answer 7

this my own beef stew, but anyone can adjust the ingredients. Use well trimmed beef, good quality. Cut into small pieces, go with the grain. Brown it quickly in a pan. Add chopped onions, as much as you like. Dont fry for too long; just a couple of minutes is fine. Put the browned steak and onion into a large pot, add a couple of oxo cubes, crumbled, and some boiling water, again, it's to your own taste, but I find too little water is best, beacuse you can always add more. Add chopped carrots, again as much as you like, nad simmer slowly for about 45 mins. You may add at any stage any herbs you like; thyme is very good, dried or fresh; some freshly ground black pepper, a tablespoon of brown vinegar, and a spoonful of brown sugar.
This is your basic recipe. Ideally, if you want to add potatoes, cook them separately, and add to the pot towards the end of cooking time. You can also add any other vegetable you like; turnip in season is excellent, but diced very small; you might also like to add chopped leeks.
A beef stew tastes best when it has been allowed to "rest" for a while after cooking. The best stews are a day old. The flavours have had time to blend.
I love this kind of stew, very hearty and warming in winter, not too sloppy, just enough gravy to cook in; but its very much your own choice.

Answer 8

Stew
1 tbsp. butter
1 lb. beef stew meat
1 tbsp. flour salt and pepper
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
4 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 bag baby carrots
1 container button mushrooms, sliced
1 small can tomato paste
1 gallon water

Heat heavy bottomed pot until very hot. Season flour with salt and pepper, dip stew meat into flour, covering well. Melt butter in pot, add meat and brown well on all sides. Removed meat from pan, add onion and celery. Cover and let sweat 2-3 minutes. Add tomato paste and about a cup of water, scrape brown bits from bottom of pan. Return meat to pan, add potatoes and carrots. Add enough water to cover vegetables plus an inch. Cover and let stew simmer until potatoes are done, adding water as needed to keep from scorching. Ten minutes before serving, add mushrooms and allow stew to come to a boil. Cover and allow mushrooms to cook. Serve.

Answer 9

Brown your desired amount of stew meat. Put it in a big pot and add 6 cups of water. Put in a packet of Lipton onion soup mix and 8 beef bullion cubes. Add whatever desired veggies you want (I do carrots, potatoes, celery and onion). Mix everything together. Once you add the veggies make sure the amount of water still covers all of the ingrediants. If not, add additional water 1 cup at a time plus 1 extra bullion cube for every cup. Cook for 4 to 6 hours.

Answer 10

to not be a smartypants, yet, 'use lean pork'. No fat in the 1st place will sparkling up your difficulty. otherwise, you have 3 thoughts. a million) trim your pork properly, and dredge the cubes in flour earlier you brown it. quite some the fat would be absorbed in the flour, and this could, in turn grant a extraordinary thickness later on. fairly little "unfastened" fat will upward push to the outdoors. 2) brown your meat and deglaze it. This only skill which you sell off a stable cup and a nil.5 of liquid (water will artwork, wine will do the main suitable activity), onto the beef "washing" the liquified fat off. Drain away the liquid and contine your stewing! 3) make your stew and kick back it. in one day if conceivable. The fat will upward push and solidify and might then be lifted off and discarded. maximum suitable needs!

Answer 11

Good quality beef (Aussie, Irish, Scottish Angus eg), stew for a L-O-N-G time, loose-lidded, be lavish with added onions, sparse with garlic and carrot and turnip. Modicum of salt, plenty ground black pepper. Every ingredient to your taste. Yummmmm!