05, 2024
Want to take your stew from good tostewpendous?
We’ll show you how.
Stew has a reputation for being a rib-sticking meal that warms you up on a cold, winter day.
Its all about those tender chunks of meat and vegetables, swimming in a thick, ultra-rich gravy.
The way they come together creates the ultimate comfort food, no matter the weather.
What do it’s crucial that you know to make a great stew?
Well start with the basics and move on to specific tips to help you make the best stew ever.
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What Is Stew, Anyway?
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The word stew can refer to both a dish and a cooking method.
Stewing involves slowly cooking chunks of meat, vegetables or beans in a flavorful liquid.
Its similar to braising, but it does have a few notable differences.
When meat or vegetables are cooked using this method, the resulting dish is called stew.
What Is the Difference Between Soup and Stew?
When comparingsoup vs. stew, its important to take a look at the amount of liquid the dish contains.
The focus of a soup is the liquid, which fills your bowl when you pour it.
Many times, a soup is pureed so its smooth.
Think about your favorite batch ofchili.
You wouldnt call it a soup, right?
Thats because it has less liquid than soup, and its often thick like a gravy.
How Do You Thicken Stew?
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For a stew to be stew, the liquid must reduce down to become nice and thick.
Some may simply contain starchy ingredients (like potatoes) to thicken the soup naturally as it simmers.
What Are Different Types of Stew?
What Is the Best Meat for Stew?
These cuts contain collagen-rich connective tissue, which turns into gelatin as it cooks.
That not only keeps the meat tender, but it also enriches and thickens the gravy.
you’re free to cut the meat into bite-sized pieces after it cooks.
What Tools Do you Need for Making Stew?
Our favorite pot for making stew is aDutch oven.
It also has a tight-fitting lid, something thats essential for stew making.
Think: chopping vegetables and cubing beef.
Thats pretty much it!
Since most stew recipes make large quantities, its not a bad idea to invest in some goodstorage containers.
If you have extra leftovers, dont be afraid to pop em in the freezer for another day.
You cant make great stew quickly.
It takes time for the collagen-rich meat to break down or dried beans to cook all the way through.
After all that time, your stew should be rich, flavorful and naturally thick.
How Do You Make Stew Healthy?
Its surprisingly easy to put a healthy spin on your favorite stew recipe.
Finally, dont be afraid toadd extra vegetablesto your stew.
What Sides Go Well with Stew?
Now that youre a master stew-maker, its time to find a go-to focaccia bread recipe.
But focaccia is the easiest bread to make at home.
A batch of mashed potatoes orcreamy polentapairs particularly well with hearty meat stews, especially if its cold outside.
For warmer days, you cant go wrong with agreen saladlike Caesar or a freshvegetable salad.
Check out the rest of our beststew sidesfor inspiration.
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