Stew recipes: variations on a theme

[lorilei]

The arrival of cooler weather has me thinking about cold weather foods, particularly soups and stews.

I just know you must have a variety of stew recipes laying around your house. (I guess you could say that I "stew regularly" in the winter months) I have four that I use:

A brown stew that uses Guinness beer
A very savory stew that calls for coffee
A pork ragout with lots of mushrooms
and
A pretty traditional beef stew with the obligatory carrots and potatoes

What's in your stew collection? Or do you avoid stewing altogether? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

[LIsaP]

I make a wonderful orange cumin beef stew-it has beef, little pearl onions and a sauce of cumin and orange flavors. It makes the house smell wonderful and is great tasting!
It is not a cooking light recipe though.

[lanie]

have a Baked Stew recipe with beer, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar - very good - has yours got tomatoes in it Lori? Would you puhleessee post the pork with mushroom one http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif
Thanks - Lanie http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/wink.gif

[sneezles]

I like to make Irish stew, although I seldom use mutton but do use lamb. I also like to make a beef stew using Rotel tomatoes.
Lisa,
Your orange-cumin sounds very interesting, would you mind posting it?

[Gail]

I live with a family of stew-haters, consequently it's something of a rarity around here. I do happen to make a mean boeuf bourguignon when given a chance...

[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 10-25-2000).]

[Wienie]

I have an awesome Curried Beef and Sweet Potatoe Stew. I thought it sounded kind of gross at first, but my husband loves sweet taters so I thought I'd give it a try. I definately do not regret it. You can make it as hot and spicy as you want depending on the curry mix used. I'm waiting for the weather to cool off a bit and it's on my list of Fall recipes.
Wienie

[lorilei]

Here 'tis -- I have a tendency to add garlic to this recipe (Yes, I'm an addict). It can sit in the slow cooker for 10 hours without difficulty... serve with egg noodles or lots of crusty bread!

PORK and MUSHROOM RAGOUT

3 1/2 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms
1 lb portobello mushrooms
3/4 oz mixed dried wild mushrooms or 1 cup porcini and shiitake
2 1/2 oz sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup thinly sliced onion
1 cup canned crushed tomato
2 T thyme
1 3/4 lb boneless pork loin rib roast, trimmed
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Remove stems from fresh mushrooms. Quarter the shiitakes. Quarter the portobello and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Shake dry mushrooms clean.

Combine fresh and dried mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, onion, 1/2 cup crushed canned tomatoes, and fresh thyme in a slow cooker and toss.

Sprinkle the entire surface of the meat with salt and pepper; lay on top of the vegetables. Pour the remaining 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes over meat and cook on low for 8 hours.

Remove pork from pot; allow to stand 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into 1/2-inch slices.

Serve mushroom ragout remaining in slow cooker with sliced pork.

Servings: 5. Per serving: 443 calories, 8.9 g dietary fiber, 13.5 g fat (27% cff), 4.4 grams saturated fat, 99 mg cholesterol, 600 mg sodium.

[lanie]

Thanks Lori - does that EVER look good! Going to try it this weekend - love those slow cookers - that looks amazing

[lanie]

Gail - could you please post your 'mean bourgignon' - hahahah 'stew-haters'!

[lanie]

I am posting this recipe - I think it is good and not 'really stewie'

Beer Stew with Mushrooms & Tomatoes

2 tbsp. each butter/olive oil
6 medium onions - thin wedges
1 - 2 lbs. stew meat (cubed)
1/4 cup flour
12 oz. bottle beer
28 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp. each, oregano, thyme, salt
2 cups thick sliced mushrooms

Brown onions (med heat) about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low cook 7 minutes until golden and tender. Remove onions.

Brown beef that has been shaken with flour with half oil/butter leftover.

Put in oven proof casserole: beef, onions, beer, tomatoes, spices. Cover tightly with foil then lid. Bake at 325 x 1 3/4 - 2 hours or until meat is tender.

Heat 2 tbsps. olive oil - add mushrooms cook over med/high 5 minutes, turning at intervals until browned - add to stew.

At the end of cooking before serving add 2 tbsps. balsamic vinegar - mix in - gives a very distinct flavor!

[Susan]

Originally posted by lorilei:
A brown stew that uses Guinness beer



Oh please post this one! My hubby and I LOVE Guinness! Thx!

~~Susan~~


[This message has been edited by Susan (edited 10-25-2000).]

[Gail]

Here you go, Lanie!

This recipe was my company dish many years ago-- the one dish I could count on impressing people into making them think I could actually cook. I still think it's marvelous, but beware-- the bacon fat is essential to the taste, but of course isn't at all healthy...

BOEUF BOURGUIGNON

3 pounds stew meat (cut away all gristle and fat)
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
2-3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 - 3 medium onions, cut into 2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons tomato paste or 1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cup burgundy wine
2 beef bouillion cubes
Lawry's salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 - 1 pound fresh mushrooms, whole or quartered (quarter them unless they're very small)
1/2 cube butter or more
3 - 4 tablespoons flour
Bacon fat
oil

In a frying pan, sauté meat in bacon fat until well-browned. Do NOT use flour to coat meat. This only serves to brown the flour, not the meat. Browning meat insures good flavor and dark gravy. Take meat out of pan and place in casserole. our 2 - 2 1/2 cups of water into pan in which meat was browned. Scrape up all the goodies stuck to pan and add 2 beef bouillion cubes. Bring to boil and pour over meat. Pour 2 cups burgundy wine over meat, 2-3 cloves of pressed garlic, 2 tablespoons tomato paste or 1/2 cup
tomato sauce, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, bay leaf, Lawry's salt and freshly ground pepper: cover casserole. Simmer about 2 - 2 1/2 hours in a 325º F oven until tender. 15 minutes before serving, sauté panful of onions in butter until edges are browned. DO NOT BURN. Watch pan closely, stirring constantly. When done, add to stew. In same pan, sauté whole or quartered fresh mushrooms in remaining butter for 2 - 3 minutes stirring constantly until done. Add to stew.

Add 1/2 cube better to same pan, melt, add enough flour to absorb butter. If you use too much flour, add a bit of oil until flour is all absorbed (like a paste) and ready to add to stew. Stir into stew well. Cook until thickened (a few minutes.) If meat is not tender enough, cook longer on top of stove.

Serves 6

[This message has been edited by Gail (edited 10-25-2000).]

[Gail]

Another stew idea-- known in my household as Killer Stew-- came from a Peruvian friend. She'd basically brown onions and garlic, then her meat, and set it to stew in water and a product called El Pato which may not be available everywhere in the country. For those not in the know, El Pato is a tomato sauce pretty heavily laced with chili. A can or two of that'll kill whatever ails you. Besides the El Pato, she'd put potatoes, carrots and corn in the stew-- she'd season it with bay leaf, salt, pepper, paprika and comino, and serve it on rice. Odd to note eating both rice and potatoes, but apparently that's normal in Peru. I pretty much follow her advice, only I like to brown the beef, then flame it with brandy before adding it to the pot.

Or alternatively, she'd make her version of Seco, puréeing a bunch of cilantro in the blender and using that as sauce instead of tomato sauce or El Pato, using potatoes and whatever veggies happened to strike her fancy.

[SClementson]

Lorilei, I just have to ask you to post your stew with coffee in it. I'm so curious! I'm fascinated with soups and stews that have an interesting "surprise" ingredient (or two) in them.

Thanks
Sarah

[This message has been edited by SClementson (edited 10-25-2000).]

[emilycat]

Poor Lorilei!
You've been bombarded with requests for your recipes! Sorry, I have one, too. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/tongue.gif I have to second Susan's. The Guinness one sounds so tempting! I'd love to see it too. Thanks!


[This message has been edited by emilycat (edited 10-25-2000).]

[lorilei]

RECIPES... RECIPES... http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif Both of these dishes are equally good, but distinctively different.

Alright LisaP -- that orange cumin recipe is sounding awfully good! Can I second a request for your recipe?

GUINNESS STEW

2 Tbsp olive oil
3 bay leaves
2 lbs stew meat, cut into 1 1/2 - 2 inch cubes (leave some fat on)
1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tsp dried thyme, whole
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 -3 tsp all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Beef Stock (canned okay, but homemade is best)
1/2 cup Guinness Stout (the can is preferable to the bottle)
1 Tbsp chopped parley
1/2 lb carrots, sliced
3 prunes, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
(I often add peas & celery to the mix)

Heat a 6-quart stove-top casserole and add the oil and the bay leaves. Cook the bay leaves for a moment and then add the meat. Brown the meat on both sides on high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook for a few minutes until it is clear.

Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, and flours, and stir well until smooth.

Add the beef stock and stout; simmer, stirring, until the stew thickens a bit. Add the remaining ingredients and cover.

Place the covered pot in a 275 F degree oven (or transfer stew to large casserole dish) Bake for about 2 hours, stirring a couple times. Check for salt and pepper before serving.

If using prunes, add to pan in the final 45 minutes of cooking. The addition of prunes to this dish adds sweetness and nicely balances the distinctive bitterness of the Guinness.

Serve with Irish soda bread
_____________________________________

BEEF STEW w/ COFFEE
Often called "Brazilian Beef Stew"

1 onion (medium), chopped
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb round steak, cut into small cubes
2 T butter
1/4 cup flour
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups brewed coffee
1/2 tsp oregano, chopped
1/2 tsp rosemary, chopped
6 mushrooms (medium), quartered
2 carrots (medium), cut into thin rounds
black pepper

Saute the onion in the olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or a large sauce pan until they are soft but not brown (about 10 minutes). Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Remove and reserve. Raise the heat to medium-high and brown the beef cubes. Season with black pepper. Set aside with the onion and garlic.

Lower the heat to medium and melt the butter in the pot and stir in the flour until it is well blended. Do not let it burn. Add the wine, coffee and herbs and stir with a whisk until it slightly thickens and is well mixed.

Return the meat and onions to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 35 minutes. Add the mushrooms and carrots. Simmer 35 minutes longer. Serve with rice or noodles.


[This message has been edited by lorilei (edited 10-26-2000).]

[LIsaP]

Sorry all, I forgot to bring the orange cumin stew recipe to work today-will post tonight or tomorrow!

[Mary Ann]

This is our favorite...


* Exported from MasterCook *

Hunter's Stew

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :2:30 cooking time
Categories : Favorites Healthy And Hearty
Soups & Stews

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 pounds lean, boneless top round steak
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dried whole basil
1/2 teaspoon dried whole rosemary -- crushed
1 can no-salt beef broth
10 ounces frozen pearl onions
3 cups halved small, fresh mushrooms
2 cups sliced carrot -- 1/2" thick
2 cups peeled, cubed red potato -- 1-inch thick
1 cup Burgundy or other dry red wine
3/4 cup wild rice -- uncooked
1 1/2 cups frozen green peas -- thawed

Trim fat from steak. Cut steak into 1-inch cubes. Combine steak and next 6 ingredients in a large Dutch oven; Stir well. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Add onions, mushrooms, and next 4 ingredients; cover and bake an additional hour. Stir; cover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove from oven; stir in peas.

Source:
"Cooking Light: ISSUE Jan/Feb 1992 PAGE 104"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Per serving: 356 Calories (kcal); 11g Total Fat; (29% calories from fat); 30g Protein; 30g Carbohydrate; 53mg Cholesterol; 377mg Sodium
Food Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates

NOTES : Nutrition information from magazine: 304 cal, 5 g. fat. Mastercook does not have nutrition information for lean top round steak.
Nutr. Assoc. : 5311 0 0 0 0 3152 0 0 920032 0 904716 2390 0 0

[bobmark226]

Old recipes never die, they just live on and on at this forum!

Thanks, Lorilei, for this year 2000 "oldie," which I made on Friday night. How I got this far back is strangest of all. It was because of the "Pain au chocolate" thread where I mentioned the stout bread with chocolate and cherries. This got me to thinking that I'd always wanted to do a Guiness stew, so I did a search and chose Loreli's from the several that came up. I did do a bit of changing, largely because the technique seemed odd...I removed the browned beef to do the onions as I couldn't imagine they'd soften at all with a panful of beef. I didn't add the optional prunes at the end, but I did add some frozen peas.

All in all, most excellent, and I'm sure I'll do this one again, especially since it was even better two nights later. The "edge" the Guiness gave it seemed to completely disappear.

Thanks, Lorilei!

BOB

**************************************

Originally posted by lorilei

GUINNESS STEW

2 Tbsp olive oil
3 bay leaves
2 lbs stew meat, cut into 1 1/2 - 2 inch cubes (leave some fat on)
1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 tsp dried thyme, whole
1 tsp dried rosemary
2 -3 tsp all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Beef Stock (canned okay, but homemade is best)
1/2 cup Guinness Stout (the can is preferable to the bottle)
1 Tbsp chopped parley
1/2 lb carrots, sliced
3 prunes, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
(I often add peas & celery to the mix)

Heat a 6-quart stove-top casserole and add the oil and the bay leaves. Cook the bay leaves for a moment and then add the meat. Brown the meat on both sides on high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook for a few minutes until it is clear.

Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, thyme, rosemary, and flours, and stir well until smooth.

Add the beef stock and stout; simmer, stirring, until the stew thickens a bit. Add the remaining ingredients and cover.

Place the covered pot in a 275 F degree oven (or transfer stew to large casserole dish) Bake for about 2 hours, stirring a couple times. Check for salt and pepper before serving.

If using prunes, add to pan in the final 45 minutes of cooking. The addition of prunes to this dish adds sweetness and nicely balances the distinctive bitterness of the Guinness.

Serve with Irish soda bread
_____________________________________

[lorilei]

Wow, Bob, I'm impressed you dug that one up so efficiently :) It's one of our favorites, and I'm glad you enjoyed.

I agree with your evaluation of the technique in the recipe! You need a mighty big pan to do it their way :)

Must thank you for resurrecting this thread. There's lots of good stuff here, and it's perfect for this time of the year!

[Terrytx]

ahh and we never did get the orange cumin stew:(

[lorilei]

Good point, Terri -
Anyone know what happened to LIsaP?

[Sami]

I am at DD1's house in SF this month (she just had a baby) and made stew last night. I used the recipe in the Better Homes and Garden book she has and it came out great, much to my suprise. Part of it was the meat was very lean (a new cut from Safeway) and so it wasn't overloaded with fat. I used vegetable broth instead of beef broth because they had it and it was fine.

Sami

[rclavell]

Does anyone have a vegetarian stew recipe? Or does it have to have meat to be considered stew?

[bobmark226]

Originally posted by rclavell
Does anyone have a vegetarian stew recipe? Or does it have to have meat to be considered stew?

I've got quite a few, and no, it doesn't need meat to be a stew.

My two favorites are out of Jane Brody's MORE GOOD FOOD BOOK, and both are lentil based, one being a "Paprikash" with lots of mushrooms, the other being possibly my favorite dish of all time, an Indian combo of potatoes and lentils cooked with a Garam Masala spice blend.

BOB

[newcook]

I made Gail's Boeuf Bourguignon and it turned out really really well. The sauce is so smooth and rich and tasty. And it looks really good too.

This really is a good dish to serve to company because it can be made in advance.

Thanks for the recipe Gail.

Daniele

[layla14]

Ok, So I was interested in that Cumin Beef Stew and I did a search of the archives. I found it:

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7735&highlight=cumin+beef+stew


It looks good. I think I will definitely have to try this one

Maura

[Kay Henderson]

Like you, I like variety, and have a number of recipes that I can draw from.

If you don't own Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, vols I and II, I suggest that you check them out of the library. There are excellent stews in both volumes. My all-time favorite is Beef Stew with Rice, Onions and Tomatoes, vol. I, p. 321.

I agree with those who note that stew can be an excellent dish for company, because it can be made ahead. I've noticed that people often enjoy such a homey dish -- perhaps because they don't get it very often. I find it goes very well with a green salad and a nice bread, either bought, or homemade (for me, that means in the bread machine). A simple fruit-based dessert ends the meal nicely. (For "just us", I would have the salad, plain bread or roll and skip the dessert.)