Please can anyone tell me how to make a bog standard stew?

Question

I have looked for recipes on google but they are all different and use different methods of cooking. I would like a simple beef recipe and vegetables with stock. But i am not 100% sure of the method. I want a methos which only involves boiling on the hob and not cooking in the oven. Thanks very much for any replies. I am trying to make a good impression with someone!

Answer 1

I cant' remember quantities, so you're going to have to experiment and see how it tastes. But the idea is simple.

Vegetable stew:

Chop an onion, some garlic and fresh chilli (if you're adventurous). Fry the onion in some olive oil in a deep pan till they're soft and turning golden brown, then add the garlic and chilli. Continue frying for a couple of minutes till fragrant.

Add some chopped carrots and celery. Close the lid on the pan and "sweat" the vegetables for a few minutes. Add a can of chopped tomatoes, a couple of teaspoons of Italian herbs, and a couple of teaspoons of vegetable stock (Marigold is good). Then add some chopped mushrooms. Stir occassionally and simmer till the carrots and celery are tender.

You can add some butter, aduki or kidney beans (or all three) to add a bit of meatiness. Add some sweet corn if you want to add a bit of sweetness and a different texture.

Serve with boiled potatoes or pasta.

Answer 2

This is one of Delia's recipes which I've made a few times and is always really nice.

1.Braising Steak (about 500g will be more than enough for two)
2.1 large onion
3. Carrots (2 or 3, scrubbed and chopped into fairly large chunks)
4. Mushrooms (any variety, a large handful)
5. 1tablespoon plain flour
6. Salt & Pepper
7. 1 Beef stock cube
8. 1 large glass red wine (cheap stuff is fine).

METHOD

Cut the steak into bite size pieces. Put the flour, 1teaspoon of salt and 1teaspoon freshly ground black pepper into a freezer bag (if you don't have one, a bowl will be fine). Put the steak into the freezer bag, hold the top securely and shake until all the steak pieces are covered in flour.
Heat 1tbsp of oil in a saucepan. When properly hot, put the meat pieces in and keep turning them until they are browned all over.
Take the meat out and leave to one side while you brown the onion .
Put the red wine in with the onion. This will unstick the bits from the bottom of the pan and those bits will help make the sauce taste good.
Put the steak back in, make up some stock with a good mugful of hot water & the stock cube. Turn the heat down.
Add the carrots and mushrooms.
You can now leave it on a very low heat for as long as poss. Ideally 1&a half hours, longer won't harm it.
Keep checking to make sure there's enough sauce. If it looks like it's drying out, add more hot water, half a cup at a time.

I serve this with whatever's around, eg mashed potatoes, rice,crusty bread.

Answer 3

This is a downhome cookin as down home cookin gets:

get a good deep pan, your selected veg (Carrots, onions, celery, parsnips, turnip, Potatos) Flour, seasoning( salt, pepper, Schwartze's Steakhouse pepper, and the mega secret ingredient Knorr's Aromat for meat)

put about 1/2 cup of flour in a bowl and mix in all the seasonings above to taset. Place pan on med- high heat with about 3 tbsps of olive oil (or lard or pork fat if you want to go old school)
cut the round steak into 1 inch chunks , and roll them around in the flour.

Put the flour coated steak in the pan
TIP: The more you brown your meat the darker your gravey will be

When you are happy with the colour of your steak bits, add in all the veg and fill the pan with boiling water so that all the veg are covered.

Keep an eye on it as the water will boil away. Top it up as needed. It should take about an hour.

As you've put flour on the meat your sauce should be fairly thick but if you want it a bit thicker you can cheat and use gravy granules or you can put 2 tbsps of flour in 1/2 c of cold water and beat with a fork until smooth. Then when your stew is at full boil pour in the flour mixture stirring constantly.

My mom's secret ingredient was mixing in shot or 2 of Heinz ketchup at the end.

Answer 4

Put meat in pot with enough water to allow for boiling down.
Throw in some thyme and a bay-leaf with a couple of spring onions.
Cook for about 45 minutes to an hour or until meat seems nearly cooked
Then throw in any vegetables you like
Add a couple of beef stock cubes
Salt & pepper to taste
Cook another 30 minutes or so.

An added touch...Jamaican style.
Make some small dumplings by using self-raising flour. You can use plain flour but the dumplings will be a little firmer.

Kneed the dough until tight
Roll small pieces into balls and add to the pot just before putting in the vegetables.
ENJOY

Answer 5

Brown your meat and onions in a little oil. Peel and cut your veg into even sized chunks, carrots, swede (or turnip) parsnips, potatoes are the norm, add to meat and onions, cover with stock (water and a few crumbled oxo cubes) bring to boil and reduce heat to lowest it can go, cook for several hours. Cream a little cornflour in some water ( about a tablesoon of cornflour to 1/4 pint of water, and pour into mixture to thicken gravy if need be. Remember, a stew always tastes better the next day after all the flavours have had chance to mix! Bon Apitite!

Answer 6

diced stewing beef, onions, carrots, suede, parsnips, turnips all chopped into cubes. Potatoes peeled and cubed like veg. make up granule gravy to cover contents of the pan well. Give it all a good stir, pop the lid on and cook on a low heat for about an hour. Turn down heat to a simmer, keep stirring and checking. if requires more fluid, make some more gravy. simmer for a couple of hours.

Answer 7

i never really use a recipy for stew. but try this

take one onion and 3 cloves of garlic, chop small and fry over low heat until soft, add the stewing beef and continue to fry over a low heat

while that is happening chop and prepare your chosen veg
i like carrots, potatoes (but not a lot of these and cut very small), celery, peas and any other veg you wish except mushrooms cause they go soft and gross. chose hard veg.
chop and dice veg and add in a pot with the meat and onion mix
cover with water (only just cover the veg and meat) and add 1 veg stock cube and one meat stock cube

sprinkle in a bit of thyme and let it boil

once boiled simmer until ready to serve. i like to simmer it for at least 1-2hrs that way the meat gets very soft and it getsa all warm and mushy.

thats how a stew should be

Answer 8

Firstly, I don't think you should be trying to impress someone with a stew....Its not for entertaining, its a basic nourishing meal made in one pot....Its the oldest recipe on earth.........You could buy ready made stock, but usually water is used......You can throw in what you like, in your case cubed beef, and all types of vegetables...Salt and pepper....Bring all this to the boil then turn down to simmer for a couple of hours.......If you put a few small chopped potatoes in to it at the beginning,it will help to thicken and flavour it.....Otherwise put the others in about an hour beforehand..........To this you can add all sorts of things like Lea Perrins sauce...oxo cubes...stock cubes to your taste..............But remember, what you like may not impress your friend.......

Answer 9

Cut meat into cubes, add diced carrot, onion and stock bring to the boil and then simmer for about two hours, add bisto and enjoy.

Keep topping up with water though throughout cooking.

Answer 10

if u have stewing steak just fry it off to seal the meat, fry / soften onions if u are putting them in with it, add stock and veg and leave to simmer for ages! serve with nice crusty bread!

if it's too thin u can add gravy or some cornflour to thicken it but it shouldnt be too thick. make sure you taste it and season it.

hope its nice, u cant really go wrong with stew.