Hairy Bikers Beef Stew | British Chefs Table (2024)

FAQs

How do you cook stew beef so it's tender? ›

Rush the cooking process and the beef will be tough and chewy. Follow this tip: For really tender meat, cook the stew low and slow, for approximately two hours.

Next time you're shopping for stew beef, look at your options and see what cuts of meat will work best for your recipe. For example, chuck is a lean and tender cut of beef that works well in stew. However, if you would prefer a thicker and more flavorful stew, short ribs or oxtail may be better choices for you.

There are flavors in tomatoes that are alcohol-soluble, so adding red wine along with tomato paste also helps to enhance beef stew." Laurence has a few other tricks I've borrowed to create the best beef stew, including adding Worcestershire, which gets a serious umami punch from anchovies.

Most recipes for beef stew start with cutting meat into cubes, then browning the cubes in a big pot. The idea is that browning builds flavor through the Maillard reaction, which will then get spread around through the whole pot as the meat and vegetables slowly braise in liquid.

This is a slow-cooking method, similar to braising, with the key difference being the beef is covered in liquid. Stewing is best done in a heavy stockpot or Dutch oven on the stovetop or in the oven, or in a slow-cooker.

The choice becomes easier when you realize that simple baking soda can be an ideal meat tenderizer that helps to bring out all the aromas and flavors in every sizzling beef stew or charburger.

"Soups and stews really need to simmer for long periods to allow the ingredients to meld together. Taking that a step further, most soups and stews are better if you prepare them the day before serving. Allowing them to cool and then reheating them really helps bring out the flavors and textures."

So skip the roux, and don't bother dusting the meat with flour or cornstarch before browning, either, as some recipes will suggest. That will just interfere with getting a good sear on the meat, and gum up the stew with unneeded starch.

Even the best home cook has stared down into a simmering pot of stew and realized it looked more like soup! Sure, a bowl of soup can be comforting, but a true stew in all its glory should be rich and thick in consistency.

Why add vinegar to beef stew? ›

The addition of the vinegar adds subtle acidity that balances well with the soy sauce and the honey giving this otherwise super hearty beef stew a nice lightness to it. Feel free to add sweet potato noodles(glass noodles) or egg noodles to this dish, serve it alongside rice, or as-is.

A bit of tomato paste amps up the flavor of beef stew, giving it a richness and a punch of umami that makes the stew truly memorable.

The secret to tender beef stew is to keep the pot at a gentle simmer the entire time so the connective tissues in the beef have a chance to break down and soften.

You can modify the flavor by adding vinegar, citric acid, and aromatics, or a touch of honey or agave if you like the spicy sauce on the sweeter side. There you have it, ingredients and seasonings for beef stew that are sure to help you create a hearty, flavor recipe.

Be sure to coat the beef in flour before browning it.

It helps to provide a flavorful crust as well as thickening the stew so there's no need to thicken the stew later on. If you are gluten-free, you can use a 1:1 GF flour.

You'll have greyish tender meat in your stew that is lacking in flavor. If you CAN'T brown it first, and plan to, say, put everything in a crockpot ot slowcooker so you'll have food (and the smell of cooking!) waiting for you when you come home tired, you have to do more than just skip browning the beef.

You most often see this technique called for in stews, where flour is used to thicken the cooking liquid. All you need for this technique is a hot pan, a little oil, and some flour. Sprinkle the meat with flour before adding it to the pan and then turning it until it's brown on all sides.

After you bring your stew to a gentle simmer it's important to cook with the lid on as it helps to trap the liquid inside, cook the ingredients evenly, enhance the combination of flavours and prevent the ingredients from drying out.

Give stew plenty of time

For most types of stew, it takes time to develop great flavor. Stew uses collagen-rich, tough cuts of meat, which need at least two hours to break down. If you try to rush it and boil the stew, the muscle fibers will shrink and become tough. So give yourself a few hours to let it do its thing.

The ideal temperature for stewing in the oven is generally 160-170C (conventional), 140 – 150C (fan-forced). If cooking on the stove top, the stew should be kept at simmering point (not boiling), or approximately 82C.

How do you soften tough beef stew meat? ›

The beef in beef stew can be made soft and tender by cooking it for a long time over low heat. This breaks down the tough connective tissues in the beef, making it more tender.

Simmering in a little bit of liquid or broth is a great way to tenderize. Acidity can also be your friend here. A little bit of vinegar and lemon juice in the liquid can help you tenderize the meat.

Your meat will be juicier and more tender

The longer cooking time and the low heat complement each other perfectly. As a result, even though the meat is cooked for far longer, it doesn't dry out because the temperature is low. As a result, this is the best way to retain all the natural juices of the meat.