# Getting stewed **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 28, 2015, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921 "2015-10-28T00:32:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/21 "2015-10-28T21:27:04Z")
I like your recipe, **Chefguy**. Once I made a Guinness beef stew, and the resulting gravy was so delicious that I vowed that Guinness would always be added to my beef stews. It contributes not only its yummy flavor, but also its deep color. Other umami-enhancing additions: A couple of anchovies. Several mushrooms, chopped fine-ish, browned very well, and a tablespoon of tomato paste added toward the end so that it browns, too. A tablespoon of soy sauce. It doesn’t make the stew taste Asian, but it does give it a little something. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2015, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/22 "2015-10-28T22:54:26Z")
> [@teela\_brown](#): > > I like your recipe, **Chefguy**. > > Once I made a Guinness beef stew, and the resulting gravy was so delicious that I vowed that Guinness would always be added to my beef stews. It contributes not only its yummy flavor, but also its deep color. > > Other umami-enhancing additions: > > A couple of anchovies. > > Several mushrooms, chopped fine-ish, browned very well, and a tablespoon of tomato paste added toward the end so that it browns, too. > > A tablespoon of soy sauce. It doesn’t make the stew taste Asian, but it does give it a little something. I forgot to mention the half pound of chanterelle mushrooms I added. Stews are really universal. The Belgians have one called _[carbonade a la Flamande](http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1236/carbonnade-flamande)_ (basically Flemish beef stew) that is made with Belgian ale and is very good. And of course, there’s the French _boeuf bourguignon_, which is close to what I just made. Then there’s Hungarian goulash and the Polish _bigos_, or hunter’s stew. I love them all. If nothing else, it’s an excuse to eat warm crusty bread slathered with butter. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/23 "2015-10-29T00:19:08Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Stews are really universal. The Belgians have one called _[carbonade a la Flamande](http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1236/carbonnade-flamande)_ (basically Flemish beef stew) that is made with Belgian ale and is very good. I enjoy doing this one with a small piece of brisket. Yummy, and the sandwiches the next few days are awesome. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/24 "2015-10-29T04:01:19Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > I enjoy doing this one with a small piece of brisket. Yummy, and the sandwiches the next few days are awesome. My Belgian bonma said she used to make it with horse meat…neigh… ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/25 "2015-10-29T14:18:07Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > What kind of potatoes do you use? Even when using a pressure cooker and adding the potatoes late, I find they get a bit mushy. I like to use a waxy (low starch) potato for stews, they hold up much better, so red or fingerling potatoes are my first choice. Some people like Yukon Golds, but I wouldn’t call them low-starch, maybe more like medium-starch, I’ll use them if it’s all I have. Russets are right out. Using reds or fingerlings I have never had to add the potatoes late, to me that defeats the purpose of pressure cooking. If I have to de-pressurize and then wait to get everything back up to pressure it is more hassle than I want to deal with. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/26 "2015-10-29T14:20:48Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I forgot to mention the half pound of chanterelle mushrooms I added. Stews are really universal. The Belgians have one called _[carbonade a la Flamande](http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1236/carbonnade-flamande)_ (basically Flemish beef stew) that is made with Belgian ale and is very good. And of course, there’s the French _boeuf bourguignon_, which is close to what I just made. Then there’s Hungarian goulash and the Polish _bigos_, or hunter’s stew. I love them all. If nothing else, it’s an excuse to eat warm crusty bread slathered with butter. I’ve mentioned before that I went to college in a heavily Polish area and that is where I had my first taste of _bigos_. It’s now a wintertime staple at our house. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/27 "2015-10-29T15:18:18Z")
> [@August\_West](#): > > I’ve mentioned before that I went to college in a heavily Polish area and that is where I had my first taste of _bigos_. It’s now a wintertime staple at our house. I had it in Warsaw, when I was there for a month. About the only version of stew that I really couldn’t eat was a mess that the Portuguese call _cozido_. It’s a lot of inedible (to me) meat parts boiled until they’re like rubber along with potatoes and some other veggies, then doused with olive oil. I’m sure there must be better versions of it, but this one, which was prepared by local workers at the Lisbon embassy, was gag-worthy. ---
**Author:** ![PlumBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@PlumBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlumBob)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/28 "2015-10-29T16:23:45Z")
You have covered almost all my beef stew tricks. How about a shot of oyster sauce? I like to use browned ground beef along with cubed beef for different textures. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/29 "2015-10-29T18:17:20Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I had it in Warsaw, when I was there for a month. > > About the only version of stew that I really couldn’t eat was a mess that the Portuguese call _cozido_. It’s a lot of inedible (to me) meat parts boiled until they’re like rubber along with potatoes and some other veggies, then doused with olive oil. I’m sure there must be better versions of it, but this one, which was prepared by local workers at the Lisbon embassy, was gag-worthy. That’s _posole_ for me (sorry **eenerms**!). We have some good friends who are great cooks and one year they ordered some pork from me and requested that the ham be left fresh and uncured. I couldn’t fathom this concept and asked “why?”, they said “To make posole!” I insisted that they make posole for me, because if it something worth giving up a cured ham for, it has to be amazing! It really wasn’t. It was pretty bland, the texture of the hominy was unpleasant, and the meat was rubbery. Maybe they’re just bad at making posole? ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/30 "2015-10-31T13:57:34Z")
All right, which one of you bastages broke in and stole my barley? :mad: This weekend I was finally going to make me some beef barley stew. Got up early seared the beef, browned the onions a bit, and set to simmer for a while. But when I started to organize my supplies to be ready for the final stage, I come to discover there is no barley. But that’s not possible. I know I bought it, I know I saw it on the kitchen counter I’m not fully clear on the path the barley took from that point, but all documented processes indicate it should be in the Pantry next to the rice. But it’s not there, it simply not anywhere 😕 It’s not something I use very often, It’s not like I would have spontaneously thrown it in pancakes on on ice cream or something. Where the Hell did it go?! ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/31 "2015-10-31T14:11:02Z")
\*\*wolfman \*\*- did you look in the freezer? Or maybe in the cabinet next to the toothpaste? My daughter is coming for a visit next week and she specifically requested beef stew. It’s been a while since I’ve made one, but I’m pretty sure I can pull it off. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/32 "2015-10-31T15:02:10Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > All right, which one of you bastages broke in and stole my barley? :mad: > > This weekend I was finally going to make me some beef barley stew. Got up early seared the beef, browned the onions a bit, and set to simmer for a while. But when I started to organize my supplies to be ready for the final stage, I come to discover there is no barley. But that’s not possible. I know I bought it, I know I saw it on the kitchen counter I’m not fully clear on the path the barley took from that point, but all documented processes indicate it should be in the Pantry next to the rice. But it’s not there, it simply not anywhere 😕 > > It’s not something I use very often, It’s not like I would have spontaneously thrown it in pancakes on on ice cream or something. Where the Hell did it go?! I’ve found that most inanimate objects can time shift, much like cats. It’s still sitting there on the counter, but you won’t be able to perceive it until you don’t need it any longer, at which time it will seem to magically appear. Happens to me all the time. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2015, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/33 "2015-10-31T15:11:10Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I’ve found that most inanimate objects can time shift, much like cats. It’s still sitting there on the counter, but you won’t be able to perceive it until you don’t need it any longer, at which time it will seem to magically appear. Happens to me all the time. I’m sure in 3 years I’ll find a mostly mouse eaten bag of barley with the painting supplies or something like it. But it is so damn hard to find barley, I went to the nearest two grocery stores, and neither had it. 12 kinds of Quinoa, 4 kind of hemp seed, but no freakin barley. Best I could do was cracked wheat, which I am deciding if I want to use. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/34 "2015-11-10T20:42:44Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > One of the best things about Stew or Chili… you spend the day today smelling the wonderful aroma and enjoy a great dish. Put it away and reheat tomorrow and you have an AMAZING dish. Yeah, I’ve noticed that before – why is that? What chemical process happens in the fridge overnight? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/35 "2015-11-10T20:48:31Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Yeah, I’ve noticed that before – why is that? What chemical process happens in the fridge overnight? Melding of flavors, I think. Some ingredients have a brighter flavor early on and can dominate a dish. After a day chatting with the other ingredients, they tend to mellow. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/36 "2015-11-10T20:54:18Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Melding of flavors, I think. Some ingredients have a brighter flavor early on and can dominate a dish. After a day chatting with the other ingredients, they tend to mellow. Basically. There’s a few things that happen, and it’s explained a bit [here](http://www.forbes.com/sites/nadiaarumugam/2011/11/23/the-science-of-leftovers-why-they-taste-so-good/). There’s also something about the texture of the meat after it’s cooled and reheated the first time. I can’t remember offhand what the science was, but I think it was mentioned on Good Eats or some program of that nature. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/37 "2015-11-10T22:06:55Z")
I’m making stew today - fake cassoulet. I learned most of my tricks from this article. [Traditional French Cassoulet Recipe](http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/10/traditional-french-cassoulet-recipe.html) Today’s has chicken and mushroom sausages, chicken thighs, salt pork and white beans, of course. I’m a bit short on veggies so I’m flavouring the bean broth with apples and parsley and the last of the tomatoes from the patio, instead of the usual mirepoix. Might have to knock up a loaf of crusty bread to sop up the liquids… ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/38 "2015-11-10T22:23:00Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > I’m making stew today - fake cassoulet. I learned most of my tricks from this article. [Traditional French Cassoulet Recipe](http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/10/traditional-french-cassoulet-recipe.html) > > Today’s has chicken and mushroom sausages, chicken thighs, salt pork and white beans, of course. I’m a bit short on veggies so I’m flavouring the bean broth with apples and parsley and the last of the tomatoes from the patio, instead of the usual mirepoix. Might have to knock up a loaf of crusty bread to sop up the liquids… I make fake cassoulet, also. Mine has Italian sausage, chicken, white beans, tomatoes and rosemary. Good stuff. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/39 "2015-11-10T23:01:45Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I make fake cassoulet, also. Mine has Italian sausage, chicken, white beans, tomatoes and rosemary. Good stuff. My best tip from the linked recipe is adding powdered gelatine to storebought stock to give the unctious mouthfeel and crust on top. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921/40 "2015-11-10T23:27:32Z")
That is a great fake cassoulet recipe! I’ve found that Kenji is pretty much my go-to guy for anything I haven’t tried before. If I didn’t have a fridge full of leftover chili, leftover chicken and dumplings, and leftover spaghetti with meatballs, I would be making this tonight! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/getting-stewed/735921.md?page=3)