Stewing meat is a cooking technique that allows you to make it tender and juicy, especially in the case of harder cuts and tendentially less valuable. Following this procedure, the meat is cooked inside a liquid preparation which helps to keep it soft and moist. In fact, this method breaks the connective tissue of hard cuts, making them much more tender.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Initial Preparation
Step 1. Choose the meat
This technique is particularly suitable for hard and less expensive cuts. So when selecting the meat, avoid tender or fine cuts. Bone cuts are also recommended for this method.
- To make beef stew, you can choose one of the following cuts: neck, shoulder, beef tips, rump, round and brisket.
- To make pork stew, you can choose one of the following cuts: ribs, chops, cubes, boneless shoulder, bone-in shoulder, loin and ribs.
- To prepare lamb stew, shank and shoulder are recommended.
- To make chicken stew, try using the leg or leg. Preserve the bone so you don't lose fat and tissue. Boneless chicken breast is not recommended for this technique.
- To make fish stew, use large, compact fillets, such as shark, swordfish, or tuna. Avoid tender fish, such as tilapia and cod, otherwise the meat will fall apart.
- Don't limit yourself to meat. You can also make a fruit, vegetable and vegetable stew. Choose compact products, such as squash, sweet potatoes, leeks, carrots, chard, and cabbage.
Step 2. Choose a preparation in liquid form
To make the stew, the meat must be cooked in a liquid form preparation for a prolonged period of time. Feel free to experiment: there are no rules on this. Consider the taste palette you intend to achieve and which flavors go best with the meat, seasonings and vegetables you have chosen.
- Try using beef, chicken, or vegetable broth. Make sure it goes well with the meat.
- You can also use wine or beer. If you're cooking pork, try using a blonde lager, which adds sour notes. If you're cooking beef, try using a stout or dark lager. The wine offers a slight sour note. Choose a dry one that you would drink at the table. To experiment with various flavors, mix the wine and broth. You can also try using a balsamic vinegar vinaigrette.
- To make a sweet-tasting stew, try using apple, blueberry, orange, or pineapple juice. To make it a little more tart, add some tomato juice. Fresh or fermented cider goes well with chicken and pork, adding slight sweet notes.
- If the meat, dressings and vegetables have a strong taste, use only water.
- The stew can also be prepared with milk.
Step 3. Choose the toppings
As recommended in the case of the liquid preparation, the condiments also allow you to experiment and bring a pinch of creativity. To get a rich palette of flavors, select aromatic herbs and spices that go well with the liquid. Aromatic herbs can be dried or fresh.
- Try using basil, a blend of herbs, oregano, mint, or thyme. You can also opt for sage, rosemary, dill, bay leaves, and cilantro. Also, you can add salt and pepper.
- Garlic and onion are perfect for flavoring the preparation in liquid form.
- Try using capers, lemon zest, lime, or orange. For a sweet but spicy flavor, opt for ginger. Lemongrass gives sweet and citrus notes to the dish.
- If you want to make a spicy stew, try using chili powder, shredded chili, cayenne pepper, or other spices. To add an aromatic note inspired by Indian cuisine, use cumin and turmeric.
- You can also try liquid condiments like barbecue sauce, Dijon mustard, soy sauce, steak sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sweet and sour sauce, or sweet chili sauce.
Step 4. Use the right pot, regardless of the meat
You need a large, deep one with a lid that fits snugly around the edges. This allows you to keep the water and steam inside, a fundamental step to properly prepare the stew.
If possible, use a cast iron Dutch oven. For smaller cuts, like pork or chicken nuggets, you can also use an oven-safe pan
Step 5. Complete the preparation of the stew by adding the vegetables
Generally onions, carrots and celery are used, but you can choose the ones you prefer, the important thing is that they go well with the other flavors.
- Mushrooms allow you to add woody notes.
- Regular potatoes and sweet potatoes are perfect. By adding them to the stew it is possible to prepare a complete meal.
- Try different types of squash, parsnips, turnips, rutabaga, or other root vegetables.
- Any type of onion would work for the stew.
Part 2 of 2: Stew the Meat
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C
Meanwhile, season the meat with salt, pepper, and other ingredients to your liking. Trim the excess fat.
- Try to make large enough pieces of meat. Make sure the edges are smooth instead of uneven and don't puncture them. This way the meat will absorb and retain the juices better.
- If you use a bone cut, there may be tiny splinters left on the surface. To remove them, rinse the meat thoroughly using warm water. Rub it in gently to get rid of any residue. Then, pat it dry with a paper towel and season.
Step 2. Sear the meat
Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a saucepan and let it heat over medium-high heat. Once it gets hot and starts bubbling, cook the meat and brown it. Turn it over and wait for it to cook on the other side as well. Repeat until golden brown, then set aside.
- Make sure the pot is hot. If smoke comes out, that's a good sign. You should also leave it uncovered. Just remember to open a window or turn on the vacuum.
- During cooking, the surface of the meat should caramelize and become crunchy. Remember that you don't have to cook it well, just sear the outside.
- Don't cram the meat into the pot. Make sure it has enough space to burn properly.
Step 3. Remove the meat and let it rest
Meanwhile, lightly brown the vegetables in the same pan. They should turn golden on the surface and give off their characteristic odor. Cooking should take 3 to 4 minutes.
Brown the vegetables until they get a golden, caramel-like color. Stir them often to prevent them from burning
Step 4. Deglaze the pot
On the bottom there should be some pieces of golden and caramelized vegetables. Adjust the flame to medium temperature and pour in some liquid preparation. Then, detach them with the help of a wooden spoon. Leave them in the pot, as they allow you to flavor the stew even more.
Step 5. Mix the ingredients
Move the meat to the pot. Add the liquid preparation until about half of the meat is covered. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the stew can simmer.
- When the stew begins to simmer, add the seasonings.
- Avoid using too much liquid - you shouldn't cover the meat entirely, only half, or the flavor will suffer.
- If the pot you used for cooking is not suitable for the oven, move the ingredients - meat, vegetables, and deglassing liquid - to a slow cooker or baking dish.
Step 6. Cook the meat
Cover the pot tightly and bake it at 180 ° C for between an hour and a half and 6 hours. The meat should become tender and flake if it is skewered with a fork. Don't let it cook for too long, or it will dry out.
- The cooking temperature can vary between 120 and 180 ° C.
- If you use the stove, lower the heat to the minimum, while a slow cooker should be adjusted to the maximum.
Step 7. Finish preparing the stew
If you want to add more vegetables, do it 45 minutes before it finishes cooking. If the depth of the liquid does not exceed 2 cm, add a little more.
- If you want to make a sauce, remove the vegetables and the meat once the meat is tender enough to be flaked with a fork. Remove the grease from the surface. Let the sauce simmer so it can shrink and thicken enough to coat the back of a spoon. Put the meat and vegetables back into the pot to reheat the stew.
- Try adding flour or cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
- Once out of the oven, let the meat sit in the sauce for 10 to 20 minutes so it can absorb the juices.
Advice
- Cut the meat away from the grain, otherwise it will crumble.
- Try letting the meat marinate for a few hours or days before making the stew. This way it will be even tastier.
