# Stew question: should I cover it?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stew-question-should-i-cover-it/285692
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [January 20, 2005, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stew-question-should-i-cover-it/285692 "2005-01-20T06:56:46Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stew-question-should-i-cover-it/285692/21 "2005-01-21T10:38:44Z")
> [@Chefguy](#):
>
> Sorry about the quick answer; I had an appointment to get to. Stocks and the soups made from them can be thickened in any number of ways. Stock is generally made from meat of some sort that is cooked with vegetables and herbs and reduced to desired thickness over the course of a day or two. So a stew, which is generally meat of some sort cooked with vegetables over the course of a shorter period, is essentially a stock. Potayto, potahto. Take stock, add fresh veggies, and call it soup.
>
> The amount of roux created by coating the meat with flour is not normally significant to the amount of broth you are cooking in. Additionally, the longer you cook a roux, the _thinner_ it becomes. Thickening is generally done at the end of the cooking cycle, or is accomplished via reduction.
>
> I’m sure this has sufficiently muddied the waters.
A soup in common parlance is any liquid based dish wheras a stew commonly refers to one that has been thickened with a starch. I certainly know of no stews that are thickened by gelatin alone and I imagine the mouthfeel would make it unpleasant to eat in large quantites.
I’ve found that in general, about 1 lb of meat requires about 1/2 a cup of flour to coat. This should be enough to bring 2 cup of liquid to a bechamel consistency or about 4 to 5 cups to stew consistency.
Roux only gets significantly thinner when cooked in hot fat, once it’s immersed in liquid, it stays the same thickness.
---
### Author:  [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stew-question-should-i-cover-it/285692/22 "2005-01-21T13:37:41Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#):
>
> A soup in common parlance is any liquid based dish wheras a stew commonly refers to one that has been thickened with a starch. I certainly know of no stews that are thickened by gelatin alone and I imagine the mouthfeel would make it unpleasant to eat in large quantites.
Grandma makes oxtail stew which is thickened only by the natural gelatin on the oxtails, and it is day-um tasty. But it \*is \*a weird feel. It’s also shiny, which is a little strange to look at. Took being raised with it to really appreciate it. I’m afraid I waited too late with WhyKid. He thinks it’s gross. That’s OK, I’ll have WhyBaby in June and by next year I’ll have an oxtail-eating partner! 😃
Grandma also made a thickened soup (she never called it a stew) that was thickened with crushed ginger snaps. I think it was a German Thing. Very interestink.
---
### Author:  [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stew-question-should-i-cover-it/285692/23 "2005-01-21T14:17:55Z")
> [@Shalmanese](#):
>
> A soup in common parlance is any liquid based dish wheras a stew commonly refers to one that has been thickened with a starch. I certainly know of no stews that are thickened by gelatin alone and I imagine the mouthfeel would make it unpleasant to eat in large quantites.
>
> I’ve found that in general, about 1 lb of meat requires about 1/2 a cup of flour to coat. This should be enough to bring 2 cup of liquid to a bechamel consistency or about 4 to 5 cups to stew consistency.
>
> Roux only gets significantly thinner when cooked in hot fat, once it’s immersed in liquid, it stays the same thickness.
Yeah, I’m not saying things well lately. Thanks for clarifying (ha!).
---
### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stew-question-should-i-cover-it/285692/24 "2005-01-21T15:29:10Z")
> [@WhyNot](#):
>
> Grandma makes oxtail stew which is thickened only by the natural gelatin on the oxtails, and it is day-um tasty. But it \*is \*a weird feel. It’s also shiny, which is a little strange to look at. Took being raised with it to really appreciate it. I’m afraid I waited too late with WhyKid. He thinks it’s gross. That’s OK, I’ll have WhyBaby in June and by next year I’ll have an oxtail-eating partner! 😃
>
> Grandma also made a thickened soup (she never called it a stew) that was thickened with crushed ginger snaps. I think it was a German Thing. Very interestink.
That’s sauerbraten you’re describing in the last paragraph. Mmm…mmm…
I’ve seen several stew recipes that don’t require the addition of starch for thickening. Some just use a bit of tomato paste and let the mixture boil down. Some, sour cream. Others are thinner than the stews you’re describing in this thread. I don’t think that stews are required to be very thick, at least certainly not of bechamel thickeness.
---
### Author:  [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stew-question-should-i-cover-it/285692/25 "2005-01-21T15:31:10Z")
Whoa.
I think this thread has to get back to basics, because the original recipe seemed bad to begin with. Mainly, it sounds like **Khan** didn’t dredge the beef and addeed the potatoes WAY too soon.
Here’s a “basic” beef stew.
1. Dredge beef in flour, salt & pepper. Brown for 5-8 minutes and remove to a bowl.
2. Saute onions, in the pot until tender. Add garlic and herbs for about 30 seconds.
3. Now “deglaze” with beer/stock/red wine/soy sauce or some combination thereof.
4. Add the beef back, boil for a second, then reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered for about an hour. (also add bay leaves at this point).
5. NOW, add your potatoes and carrots and continue to simmer until tender (another 30 minutes or so)
6. Serve on top of extra-wide egg noodles with dry red wine or dark beer. Best eaten on a Sunday. Hot sauce, or ketchup can be added to your personal serving.
That’s my basic stew. There’s things you can add/remove for different consistencies. . .tomatoes, mushrooms, rutabaga, turnip, etc.
* * *
I like to add a 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes around the time I add the potatoes. They give the sauce a nice consistency. If you’re not thick enough at the end, add roux.
---
### Author:  [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stew-question-should-i-cover-it/285692/26 "2005-01-21T15:41:28Z")
> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> That’s sauerbraten you’re describing in the last paragraph. Mmm…mmm…
Ooooh. Now I want sauerbraten. (That’s mean to do that to a pregnant girl, **pulykamell**!😛 ) Yes, she made that. A roast that had been rotting - I mean, \*aging \*- in the fridge for two weeks with onions and red wine and vinegar. It was all purple and fuzzy when it was “ready.” The gravy after roasting was thickened with ginger snaps.
The soup had a similar taste, and had red cabbage (of course) and sausage (of course) and strips of pork (of course) in it before being thickened with ginger snaps. Maybe it was something she made up, because I liked the sauerbraten gravy so much.
**Trunk** , I like your recipe, and mine is very similar. The only difference is I have two sets of carrots and onions. The first set is the “sacrificial set” and goes in in step 4, in large pieces, along with bay leaves, allspice and fresh parsely. Then they get plucked out and discarded, with fresh raw veggies going in with the potatoes. This gives me a stock with extra vitamins (I don’t peel the first set of carrots, but I do the second), but avoids the whole “mush” issue.
I’ve also been known to cheat and deglaze with Gravy Master and red wine. No one tell **chefguy** , OK? 😛
---
### Author:  [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stew-question-should-i-cover-it/285692/27 "2005-01-21T15:50:11Z")
> [@WhyNot](#):
>
> **Trunk** , I like your recipe, and mine is very similar. The only difference is I have two sets of carrots and onions. The first set is the “sacrificial set” and goes in in step 4, in large pieces, along with bay leaves, allspice and fresh parsely. Then they get plucked out and discarded, with fresh raw veggies going in with the potatoes. This gives me a stock with extra vitamins (I don’t peel the first set of carrots, but I do the second), but avoids the whole “mush” issue.
Ya know - that’s something I’ve never really figured out.
I’ve made like braised short ribs, and sauted with carrots, onions and celery. And discarded them before adding more carrots and onions.
BUT, it’s not easy fishing around for all of the “discards”.
I’ve wondered if you should do the same with beef stew, too. The onions, honestly, lose pretty much all of their flavor, and I’ve always thought it would be nice to throw a “fresh” onion in with the potatoes.
So, to anyone who knows more about cooking than me. . .what’s the “Straight Dope” on that?
Do you leave your sauted veggie base in a stew?
Discard and then replace?
Discard altogether?
---
### Author:  [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stew-question-should-i-cover-it/285692/28 "2005-01-21T15:58:12Z")
> [@Trunk](#):
>
> BUT, it’s not easy fishing around for all of the “discards”.
Tie 'em up in a loose cheescloth bundle. When you’re ready, fish out the whole bundle. Just make sure it’s loose enough for the liquid to get in there well. It’s a “Bouquet Garni Maximus”!
---
### Author:  [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stew-question-should-i-cover-it/285692/29 "2005-01-21T16:54:29Z")
> [@WhyNot](#):
>
> Ooooh. Now I want sauerbraten. (That’s mean to do that to a pregnant girl, **pulykamell**!😛 ) Yes, she made that. A roast that had been rotting - I mean, \*aging \*- in the fridge for two weeks with onions and red wine and vinegar. It was all purple and fuzzy when it was “ready.” The gravy after roasting was thickened with ginger snaps.
>
> The soup had a similar taste, and had red cabbage (of course) and sausage (of course) and strips of pork (of course) in it before being thickened with ginger snaps. Maybe it was something she made up, because I liked the sauerbraten gravy so much.
Two weeks!? Egads! Normally it’s 3–5 days. That must’ve been some damn flavorful sauerbraten. (You’re in Chicago, right? You can always head down to Berghoff’s in the Loop to satisfy those cravings…although I’m sure there must be better and cheaper places out there. Plus it is easy enough to make at home…you just have to anticipate your cravings by half a week.)
Ah…I didn’t realize the Germans had more than one dish thickened with ginger snaps. Cabbage, sausage, pork, ginger snaps…sounds like a good combination to me. I’ll have to give it a shot one of these days.
Other ways of dealing with “discards” (although the cheesecloth method is the easiest by far): You can use one stem of parsley to tie up your bundle of herbs: I normally take parsley, bay leaf, and thyme and tie it up this way. Cloves can be stuck into onion halves. Also, when using dried herbs and spices, you can put them inside a tea ball and let them steep.
---
### Author:  [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stew-question-should-i-cover-it/285692/30 "2005-01-21T17:00:21Z")
> [@pulykamell](#):
>
> Two weeks!? Egads! Normally it’s 3–5 days. That must’ve been some damn flavorful sauerbraten. (You’re in Chicago, right? You can always head down to Berghoff’s in the Loop to satisfy those cravings…although I’m sure there must be better and cheaper places out there. Plus it is easy enough to make at home…you just have to anticipate your cravings by half a week.)
Yep. Two weeks. Flip it once a day, add more wine and/or vinegar as needed to replace that lost to evaporation. I just checked the recipe card she gave me years ago. That must be why I can’t stand it in restaurants - it’s just so…wimpy. 😛
---
### Author:  [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stew-question-should-i-cover-it/285692/31 "2005-01-21T17:19:55Z")
About them Ginger snaps. Would it spoil the recipe to use gingersnaps containing little bits of crystalized ginger? Do you need to use specially unsweet ginger snaps, or normal sweet cookie ginger snaps?
---
### Author:  [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stew-question-should-i-cover-it/285692/32 "2005-01-21T17:30:03Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#):
>
> About them Ginger snaps. Would it spoil the recipe to use gingersnaps containing little bits of crystalized ginger? Do you need to use specially unsweet ginger snaps, or normal sweet cookie ginger snaps?
For taste, I’d say go ahead and use the crystalized ginger ones. The texture of the gravy will be different than Grandma’s though. That ginger sauerbraten gravy is silky smooth and slightly slick, because the ginger snaps basically melt and disolve into it. Myself, I’d like it either way.
She just used the cheap ginger snaps in the brown bag from the grocery store. Nothing fancy, and definitely sweetened.
---
### Author:  [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)
#### Post date: [January 22, 2005, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stew-question-should-i-cover-it/285692/33 "2005-01-22T00:07:25Z")
I have made another thread [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=298177) to ask after your best sauerbraten recipes, as I am most interested in trying to make this delicacy some time soon.
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stew-question-should-i-cover-it/285692.md?page=1)