Beef stew?

Question

Ive ever made beef stew before, I was gonna do it in the crockpot but i wasnt sure if i brown the meat first or put in the crock with the veggies and potatoes raw. Anyone got extra tips it would be much appreciated.

that should say "never" made stew before

Answer 1

If you are going to use a crock pot it is not necessary to brown the meat, you do however need to have all of the ingredients finish cooking at the same time or close to. You can buy a bag of ingredients in the freeezer dept that will have the food pre cut to sizes that will all end up cooked at the same time, they usually have you add the potatoes about 30 min before you serve and cook on high.
If you are a from a scratch kind of guy, make the meat and carrots and onion in small cubes and the potatoes either whole or in half depending on size, then they will take longer to cook. Also put potatoes on top out of most of the liquid to make them cook slower.
Other things that can go in stew are, celery, cut small, tomatoes, add 10 min before you serve if canned or 20 min if from raw, peas, fresh or frozen, add same as tomatoes, any thing that is pre cooked, can go in last minute. To make this STEW not SOUP you need to make your au jus' into gravy with flour and water or cornstarch to thicken the gravy. 2 tsp of cornstarch in 1/2 cup of water stir untill white liquid and slowly pour into soup juice (au jus') while you stir and let cook utill it thickens it only takes a few minutes.
When I use a crock pot I start on Hi for 30 to 40 minutes then on lo for about 8 hours. If you want to toss it all together and have 12 hours put in enough liquid to cover everything but the taters on top fully and go to work, 30 min or less of fooling around with the extras if you want or just thicken and eat.
There are many recipes on line from fancy with wine to simple hobo, use what's in the cupboard, stews....

Answer 2

It is important to fry the beef first - this goes for any other meat in stew too. This is often referred to as "sealing" the meat (the idea is to seal the flavours in) but there is little evidence that this really does work. However, it does add flavour. As the meat fries (and you have to do this quickly at a high temperature and only a little at a time), some of the juices leach out into the pan and the natural sugars in the juice caremelise. It is this that lends flavour. Just think of the crust on a steak...
The really important thing here is the speed - get a pan hot before you add any fat. In terms of fat you can use, go for beef dripping or even goose fat if you can (they have a great taste) - failing that, vegetable oil or olive oil will do. Don't use butter - butter will burn. Fry in small batches - if the pieces of meat are too close together, the juices will start to steam the meat and it won't fry.

Set the meat aside (and don't waste any juice that comes off the meat in this time - it'll all go in the crock) and do the same with the vegetables.

When you're done, don't waste what's in the pan. Some of that caremelised flavour (fond I think it's called) will still be in the pan. If you're using wine or beer in the casserole, use some of this to deglaze the hot pan - just tip it in, let it bubble and scrape any of the caremlised juices off the bottom of the pan - then pour it into the crock. If you're not using wine or beer, you can do this with the stock too.

Another tip is to not cut the meat too small - it will shrink slightly in the cooking.

Answer 3

You brown the meat first. Then you coat the veggies (same ones you would put in a liquidy soup) and the meat in flour, dusting it off to add the right amount. Add seasonings. Toss it all in the crockpot with some water or broth...and let 'er rip. A few hours later. STEW.

Answer 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
3/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups veal or beef stock, at room temperature
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pound small (golf ball size) new potatoes, quartered
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Set a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan and season the beef with 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1 teaspoon Essence and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper. Sear the beef (in 2 batches) in the saute pan for about 2 or 3 minutes per side.
Add the butter, mushrooms, flour, veal stock, tomato paste, herbs, spices, and browned meat to a slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and set the temperature to high. Cook for 1 hour. Add the potatoes and carrots and continue to cook the stew for another 7 hours. During the last hour of cooking, add the pearl onions and replace the lid. Once the stew is cooked, stir in the peas and parsley and serve immediately.


Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Answer 5

Marinate your beef in red wine first for about 4 hours. Par boil your potatoes first because sometimes I find they don't get soft in a crockpot.
Browning your meat first will give it some extra flavor.
Use beef broth instead of plain water.

Answer 6

Browning the beef gives the stew better color and flavor. But you can get away with not browning it too.

Don't use too much liquid, the veggies and meat give off quite a bit.

Answer 7

Typically you should brown the meat before adding it to the crock pot. I usually give everything a quick stir fry before everything goes into the crock pot with the broth. I think it helps the flavor a lot.

Answer 8

I always brown the beef first in very hot oil to sear in all the juices; the beef will be more tender and flavorful.

Answer 9

You don't have to brown it first. You can basically chuck everything into the pot with your liquid - broth, tomato juice, whatever you feel like using - your raw veggies and spices, turn it on, and leave it to go.

Answer 10

add some red wine, just a bit and some tomato product, either a little paste, or a little more if you use puree