Stews are a popular and delicious type of dish, made of a combination of meat (usually tougher meats suitable for slow cooking), vegetables (the most common ones are carrots, potatoes, onions, beans, peppers, mushrooms, and tomatoes) and seasonings. Below we will give you the ultimate guide in cooking with stew meat, making stew and what to avoid when cooking it. Also, we will list some recipes that can be done with stew meat that are not stew.
All the solid ingredients from the stew are cooked in liquid and served in the sauce or juice resultant from it.
The best type of meat for stew are the tougher ones, which means that the best stew meat are the cheapest ones. Poultry, sausages, and seafood can also be used, but they are not that popular.
There are no secrets in cooking with stew meat. But you should know how those meats work and all the right timings and so.
Best tips to follow when cooking stew meat
This delicious meat should be cooked in the right way to ensure the best texture and flavor. That is why below we will list the best practices of cooking stew meat.
1. Cook with the right cut of stew meat
As mentioned above, to cook a stew the best type of stew meat is the tougher and normally cheapest ones.
Since they are usually cooked in a slow process the meat needs to break down and become really tender.
Chuck meat is the most recommended one and it is perfect for those on a tight budget. Chuck meat releases more gelatin while being cooked and is one of the moistest types of meat, which makes it the ideal type.
2. Cook the meat before
If you add the raw stew meat directly into the stew it will not work out fine in the end. The meat needs to be moister, filled with the juices and with the best flavor it can gets.
It is recommended to cut the meat into cubes, set them in a hot pan to cook for a few minutes and then add it into the recipe. This way the heat from the pan will seal all the juices into the meat.
By following this step, you will have the meat with its better and most enhanced flavor.
3. Be careful when adding the vegetables
The meat cook time is long, and you normally have to wait for it. Vegetables on the other hand cook way too sooner and should not be added before it is necessary. If you add them too soon your recipe will have mushy and tasteless vegetables.
The right way to add the vegetables is by starting with the toughest ones, like carrots and potatoes, and the rest only a few minutes before taking the stew from the heat.
4. Not cooking the stew meat long enough
As mentioned, the type of meat needs to be tougher than the others to work with this recipe, but on the other hand, if you do not let it cook long enough the meat it will be tough and chewy.
You will need to let it cook for at least two hours.
Recipes that can be done with stew meat that are not stew
But, cooking with stew meat should not only be to make stew. There are plenty of other recipes options that goes well with stew meat and we will list them below!
Slow cooker beef tips and gravy
This easy to make and delicious recipe is a success anywhere!
Cook the meat for a few minutes to seal the juices, whisk the gravy ingredients on the stove top to thicken before adding them into the slow cooker.
Later, this can be served with mashed potatoes.
Slow cooker shredded beef for tacos
Preheat a pan, add the meat in it brown and seal the juices to enhance the flavor. Later, mix it with garlic and tomato paste and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours, or until beef is completely cooked.
After the meat is cooked in cubes and seasoned according to your preferences, you can shred it with the help of two forks and serve it in the tacos.
French onion beef stroganoff
This delicious soup is perfect for family dinners.
The stew meat if perfect for the recipe of stroganoff since the beef needs to be slow cooked and sliced.
Brown the meat in a pan, add onions until they are completely caramelized and then add mushrooms to sauté.
Then, deglaze the pan with red wine, add flour and stir everything together before adding in the broth.
Add cheese to melt on top of it to before serving.
Conclusion
When talking about cooking with stew meat, the first thing that comes into mind is the stew recipe. But this happens because stew is one of the most popular recipes in the world. This recipe pleases everyone and has the best taste of the meat and the vegetables.
The slow cooking process makes the meat very moist and tender, with and incredible texture in it. That is why, as mentioned in the article above, the tougher types of meat are the best ones to use in this recipe.
Since the meat will be cooked in a slow cooking process, if you do not use a tougher type, it will not work well in the end. This is also something that helps making this recipe even more popular: it can be done with the cheapest types of meat. So cheap meat and vegetables basically fits in everyone’s budget.
But stew meat can also be used in other recipes – the most popular is tacos – so we listed three great recipes in the article. But there many more and you can explore other options to use stew meat apart from making stew.
Let us know if you have other tips and recommendations to cook with stew meat.
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