Stew recipes

Cafe Society
1

I love stew. I usually make a stew every Sunday and eat it most of the week. Most of mine are variations on well known recipes, but some are more original than others. Please share stew recipes!

Here’s one of my recent favorites:

Ham and bean (and mushroom and cabbage) stew

Makes enough for 6 very hearty bowls (maybe ten servings for more modest appetites)

-2-3 lbs ham, chopped into chunks. I use sliced ham hocks, but you can use any kind of ham.
-4-5 cans of beans. I usually use light colored beans.
-cabbage (half to whole head, chopped)
-2 lbs mushrooms (I use whole white mushrooms, can use any kind you want)
-carrots, chopped (around 4 medium sized)
-onions, chopped (2-3)
-garlic (a few cloves, chopped or crushed)
-peppers, chopped (a few hot peppers, can also use sweet or bell peppers)
-paprika
-salt or seasoning mix
-cooking oil or butter
-(optional) a few tablespoons of ketchup for sweetness
-(maybe) stock or water

If the ham is hocks like I use, or another very tough/super-salty cut of ham, than boil in water for an hour beforehand. Then discard water, it will be too salty to use.

Big pot on the stove. Medium heat, cook onions a few minutes, add peppers, garlic, cabbage, carrots. A few more minutes, add mushrooms. A few more minutes, add ham and beans. Depending on how much liquid and how soupy you like it, maybe add stock or water. I usually don’t need to. Cook for another twenty minutes or so. Season with paprika, salt, and whatever else you might like. Be careful with the salt, the ham probably adds a bunch of its own salt. Turn off and cool for a bit, then chow down.

The variation in amount of ham and beans is to preference - I’ve been trying to eat a bit healthier, so I reduced the ham and increased the beans.

2

Stew is our go to winter spring food and we keep a stack of it in the freezer ( along with various chilli and curries)

Take a chunk of cow ( brisket , chuck, stew meat , beef shanks (osso buco) anything cheap. If there is meat left over from an Asado that goes in as well.
Cut that into cubes and put in a bowl and season with salt pepper, paprika , celery seeds or salt, a bit of cumin and coriander, Coleman’s mustard powder, pepper flakes if needed, and big handful of corn starch.

Put oil in cast iron skillet , brown the meat in small batches put to one side .

Chop onion , garlic , and celery stalks , brown in the same pan , you may need to throw in some red wine to get the sticky bits of beef and corns starch off .

Put the onions celery garlic and some red wine into a big pot, add the beef , more wine ( or a decent porter or ipa)

Add chopped carrots, a Swede or any winter veggies that come to hand, any wilting or sorry looking veggies in the fridge as well. I’ll throw in Mushrooms because mushrooms are awesome.

Throw in some more corn starch , rosemary , thyme , paprika if you want more.
IFF you are not using a cast iron pot , add a couple cans of crushed tomatoes and / or some tomato paste. If using a cast iron pot hold off on the tomatoes .
Add beef stock and water
Put on the heat for a low simmer, or in oven at 275f and leave for a long long time. As we are now living at altitude I am using a combination slow cooker / pressure cooker as well if I need it cooked faster.
If using a cast iron pot add some tomato paste and crushed tomatoes at the end and heat through . Chuck in the celery leaves chopped up to heat through.

Add some frozen peas and heat through , sometime we add corn as well but can make it a bit sweet. The peas have to be at the end or they are just nasty mush.

Serve with boiled potatoes , or mashed potatoes, or add new potatoes to the stew at the end to cook in the stew.

Rice or crusty bread also works well.

We don’t add beans to stew , for some reason when we add beans it always ends up going a spicy chilli route , which is basically the above method but replacing the celery / carrots / winter veggies / peas with beans and peppers of various types , a cup of coffee, and more cumin and coriander.

3

This beef and Guinness stew recipe has become my favorite stew recipe (actually it’s sort of similar to @Precambrianmollusc’s recipe above, but with Guinness instead of wine. And bacon. I think the bacon really adds something).

4

Zoop

A beef roast. Any kind.
Cut in chunks. Lightly browned.
Carrot, potato, onion, turnip(optional)
Cut in chunks.
Beef stock.(your own if available, if not a can of decent store bought)
Can of diced tomatoes(we like mild rotel tomatoes)
3 cloves garlic.
One bayleaf.
Salt and pepper.
A good shake of worchestershire.

Throw everything into a crockpot.

If liquid is needed add water or more beef stock.

6 hours it will be done.

Better the next day.

5

Bacon , yes need to add that good call!
Maybe even just a sprinkle of the Costco big bag o bacon bits would be sufficient.

Hmm. Need to find out how to make dumplings of the stodgy lump of flour and suet type. They go well in a stew for the carbs.

6

maybe add gnocchi?