I'm making beef stew

[flamingyouth]

Simmering the meat all day in a blend of chicken stock, red wine, onions and tomatoes, along with some sweet paprika, a cinnamon stick and a bay leaf. Oh, that broth is sooo tasty. The meat is still way too tough, but I've been sneaking some of the broth. MMMM.

This is a good winter dish for me as I fight off this *#%#@& flu!

[SiobhanClancy]

1. That sounds lovely...

a cinnamon stick is a touch I've never tried,but it sounds interesting. When I make beef stew,I always add a bottle of beer..which adds a nice element to the broth.

[flamingyouth]

Ooh, that does sound good!

I'd better not push it, now that I've used almost a whole bottle of red wine so far in this! ;-)

[KensPen]

2. A bottle of beer....

Is a MUST when I make chili.

[flamingyouth]

3. And it's a must whenever you make fish & chips

For the batter, I mean - and for drinking with the finished product!

[Booberdawg]

4. I use beer in roasting a pot roast

makes good gravy

[flamingyouth]

5. I bet!

Try red wine sometime. Makes it really rich! :hi: Linda!

[Booberdawg]

11. Back atcha!

:hi:

[SOteric]

6. For future reference,

you're best served to add the red wine and tomatoes in after the majority of the cooking has taken place. Acids will toughen the meats. Much like in a ceviche, or the lime and yolks in key-lime pie, acids 'cook' protein substances rather quickly. Stew meat is from a tougher cut, sometimes from older livestock and thus it's relatively low cost. In should be cooked slowly at low temperatures for a lengthy period of time to break down the tissue structure. Adding an acid to a braise technically cooks the meat quickly.

:hi:

[flamingyouth]

8. Damn that Mark Bittman from the NYT!

That's where we got the majority of this recipe. He said to simmer the chuck for about 90 minutes - only 90 mins. for chuck??? I'd prefer to still be able to eat it, thank you.

Actually, it's gotten pretty tender by now, but, yeah, I see your point. I've never used wine to braise before, and now I think I see why! Does make a lovely broth, though (soooo good)!

In the past, I've really only used spices, stock and water - probably a good reason for that! (I'm self-taught, as you've probably gathered by now.)

:hi:

On edit: I love your sig illustration!

[SiobhanClancy]

9. Self-taught.?

that describes most of the BEST cooks I know:)
Including yours truly...

[flamingyouth]

14. I had to start cooking when I was about 11

My mother was a caregiver to both of her ill parents at the time, and I learned to either cook or live on frozen dinners!

I think that of all the meals I'm proudest of, I remember my first roast chicken the most fondly. I babysat that thing - I was convinced I would ruin it for some reason. It's funny to look back. Now I cook to relax and I figure that whatever goes wrong can be fixed!

[realFedUp]

7. Yum! n/t

[Catfish]

10. My favorite beef stew recipe

from epicurious.com I serve it with noodles and leave out the steak sauce. There are so many good variations for beef stew.

IRENE'S BEER STEW


Active time: 1 hr Start to finish: 3 hr

2 1/2 lb onions, sliced
About 1/2 cup canola oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper
3-lb boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons steak sauce
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 to 2 (12-oz) bottles of beer (not dark)
1 tablespoon light brown sugar (optional)

Garnish: chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley

Accompaniment: cooked potatoes, rice, or noodles

Cook onions in 2 tablespoons oil in a 6- to 8-quart ovenproof heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 5 minutes.

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Combine flour, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Pat beef dry and toss with flour mixture. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large heavy skillet until hot but not smoking, then brown beef in batches, adding as browned to onions and adding more oil to skillet as necessary.

Add soy, Worcestershire, and steak sauces, bay leaves, thyme, and enough beer to pot to just cover beef and onions, then bring to a simmer. Cover pot and braise stew in middle of oven, stirring in brown sugar after about an hour if desired, until meat is tender, about 2 hours.

Season stew with salt and pepper.

Cooks' note:
• Stew improves over 2 to 3 days and freezes well. Cool stew completely, uncovered, before keeping chilled or frozen, covered.

Makes 8 servings.

[flamingyouth]

12. That does sound really good - thanks for sharing it!

I LOVE epicurious.com - what a treasure trove of recipes.

[Catfish]

15. Yes

epicurious is great, I really like the reviews. They give you a good idea if it's worth trying a recipe and some are very funny. I've found some of my best recipes there.

[MrBenchley]

13. Add a parsnip and/or turnip

for Vitamin C and a great taste....