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?

7

I tried a new stew and it was fantastic:

It’s a historical recipe, apparently from an ancient Babylonian tablet. I modified it a bit for convenience and preference - I added shredded cabbage along with the aromatics, used a multigrain cracker that had barley rather than making my own barley crackers, and also added red lentils and cooked them until they were basically just additional thickener. I used regular shallots instead of Persian due to availability. The butcher counter didn’t have beef tallow but they gave me a bunch of scrap beef fat for free and that added some great flavor. I also added a bunch of mushrooms (which I do for almost every savory dish).

The flavor was just incredible. I think it’s the combination of the aromatics, plus the lamb and beef fat - few dishes have onions, garlic, shallots, and leeks all cooked together, and I think the combination makes an amazing flavor that I’m going to use again in other dishes.

8 
Beef stew recipe Qadgop style.  

Ingredients:
1) Stew beef/beef tips.  I often use Hormel's 'Beef tips and gravy' pre-made package.  Or just use about 1.5 lbs stew beef, with your favorite spice rub.     2) Plain old salt and pepper works here too as a rub.  
3) Liquid stock (beef, veg, chicken, it's all good but lower sodium ones may work better) or water or wine or whatever, usually 1-2 cups needed overall
4) One large or 2 medium onions, diced
5) a bunch of your fave mushrooms, rinsed and sliced.  I've used up to a lb. of shrooms with good results. Or omit if you're not into mushrooms.  
6) olive oil about 2 tbsp, or use butter or whatever oil suits you
7) potatoes 6-8 or more, peeled and cut in 1.5 inch pieces
8) carrots, I use 8 or 9 medium to large ones sliced up into sticks or coins
9) celery 2-3 stalks, chopped up any way you want
10) Eight oz tomato sauce
11) worcestershire sauce, 1-3 tsp depending on taste
12) One tsp vegemite or marmite dissolved in hot water, 6 oz (can omit)
13) One can beef consomme undiluted, Campbells or other
14) One tbsp (or to taste) of Penzey's 'Bavarian Seasoning' blend:  contains bavarian style crushed brown mustard, rosemary, garlic, thyme, bay leaves, sage
15) One tbsp (or to taste) of Penzey's 'Northwoods Seasoning'; blend:  contain coarse flake salt, hungarian sweet paprika, black pepper, thyme, rosemary, granulated garlic, chipotle.  
16) a little extra smoked paprika just because I like it
17) Liquid smoke flavoring, ~ 1 tsp
18) One tbsp of lemon juice (optional, but I think it adds more zing) or
19) One tbsp of apple cider vinegar

Method:
Slice and dry saute mushrooms until the water's mostly out of them.  Then add the oil or butter and onions, and brown them to your taste.
 
if using packaged beef tips, add them now.  If searing your seasoned stew beef, remove onions and mushrooms and sear beef in dutch oven until browned (with a bit more olive oil/butter), then add onions/mushrooms back in.

deglaze cooking vessel as needed with stock or wine or water or whatever as you go

add potatoes, carrots, celery, seasonings, tomato sauce, worchestershire sauce, vegemite/water mix, liquid smoke, consomme, and whatever else you have lying around that might be tasty.

simmer, covered for 2 or so hours.  Add more liquid (stock, water, V-8 or whatever) if needed.
  
Or if using a pressure cooker (my preferred method), cook at high pressure setting for about 35 minutes. Dilute with your preferred liquid if needed. 
If thicker sauce desired, add some cornstarch mixed with water and simmer until desired thickness.  

Optional variations:
I often substitute wild rice for potatoes, adding about a cup of it, plus at least 1 additional cup of liquid.  It will then need a LOT more cooking time (5-6 hrs on stove, up to 50 minutes in pressure cooker).  Check for doneness of wild rice before serving. Might need a good stirring and more liquid and another 10-15 minutes under pressure if not done by then.

Can also add pasta late in the cooking, macaroni or shells or whatever.  May need more liquid added at that point.  

Some folks like more garlic.  If desired, slice thin and sautee at same time the onions and mushrooms are mixed with the beef added.  

Leftover stew will continue to absorb moisture even in the fridge, so when re-heating, add water/stock/other liquid as desired.
9

Does chile colorado count as stew? It’s just meat and chile powder.

10

Green chili stew made with pork shoulder and Hatch chilis (or other mild chilis). Very easy, very flavorful.

1 jar medium Hatch chilis

2 lbs pork shoulder

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 minced garlic cloves

6 cups chicken broth

6 ounces beer

1⁄2 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon

3 bay leaves

1⁄2 teaspoon cumin

1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes
3 large potatoes, diced 1/2-inch

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

DIRECTIONS
cube the meat, sprinkle with salt & pepper and brown with onions & garlic in oil in a large pot for 5 minutes.

Add broth, half a can of beer, spices. Bring to a simmer.

Let simmer for 1 hour or until meat falls apart.

Add Hatch chilis to the pot

Let simmer for 30 minutes then add the tomatoes & potatoes (add a cup of hot water if needed).

Simmer until potatoes are done.

Melt butter in a small skillet & add flour, cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly – add to the pot.

In place of the Hatch chilis, if you can’t find them, you can roast and peel some mild peppers like Anaheims. You can also make the stew zestier with hotter peppers, but I prefer the milder ones.