Hmmmm, I don’t know if there are Costcos around here. My husband has one particular store that he likes, and he hates most other stores. He particularly hates Kroger, for instance.
I’m really sorry to hear this. You guys should contact your congressman or something. If we used to be able to put a man on the moon why can’t we have lamb available in the grocery stores?
According to Google maps, there’s a few in your general area, one in Fort Worth proper. It sounds like you might not be familiar with it, so I should say it’s one of these membership stores like Sam’s Club, where you pay a yearly fee for a membership to shop there.
a floured stew can get watery because, 1) you over-boiled it, 2) too much fat rendered out.
i don’t really have a fooproof way to keep the gravy thick other than a slow simmer. potatoes and sweet potatoes could also help thicken it. i prefer a rich broth, especially on cold nights.
Make sure you’re using a cut of meat with plenty of connective tissue. Stew meat is usually good, but if it’s too lean, it may also lack the connective tissue. Also, ditto on the amount of liquid if you’re using a crock pot. Also, you can add a little slurry of cornstarch and water at the end.
I accidentally made the best stew ever last fall - I had a few beef shanks for some reason, so I browned them in a cast iron pot. I added a little (ONLY a little) red wine & beef broth, like 1/2 c each. Then I threw in carrots, celery, garlic and onions (roughly chopped)fresh rosemary and thyme, covered it with the lid and baked in the oven for about 2 hours.
After 2 hours passed, I removed the herb twig remnants, pulled out the beef, and blended the remaining veg/liquid mixture. The beef was so tender, it basically just needed poking with a fork to fall into bite site pieces. I returned the beef to the now smooth but thick mixture, added bite size carrot and potato pieces, then simmered on the stove until the new veggies were done. It was awesome!
I bet that was good. It’s a derivative of the manner of making Espagnole sauce, the basic brown sauce used in classical cooking.
I second the mashed potato flakes, I hate fake mashed potatoes but always keep a little box handy for last minute thickening.
I had forgotten the potato flakes. My Grandmother used to use them. Huh.
You had beef shanks to start with, which are flavorful with plenty of bone. And you added the right ingredients.
Yeah, you can’t go too far wrong to begin with, with that set of ingredients. Personally, I would have added some radishes, too, and tossed in some peas right at the last minute. But that’s just details.
Now I am getting in the mood to make up a batch … I might just do that this weekend.
Radishes. Huh. I want to try this now. Do you throw them in to cook through, or is it just a garnish at the end (like with a posole or whatnot)?
I’m not entirely sure; I haven’t been experimenting with them for very long yet. You probably don’t want them in for the whole time, but I’m not sure if they’d be best in for the last half-hour, the last couple of minutes, or raw at time of serving.
Add the radishes at the same time as any turnips, parsnips, and carrots.