Beef stew
There isn't any difference between a casserole and a stew. I've called this one a stew as it's more rough and ready than the others.
Ingredients
stewing steak per person
onion
carrots
celery
potatoes (optional)
other
oil for frying
beer or cider or wine or even water
flour
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Equipment
knife and board for chopping
frying pan
spoon for stirring
casserole
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oven:
time in oven: 2 hours or more
preparation time:
browning meat
preparing and frying vegetables
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Like most casseroles, the amounts of ingredients are up to you.
This is a minimal recipe. At the end, I suggest some additional or substitute ingredients.
Cooking process
- Put a little oil in the frying pan for frying. Peel and chop the and fry it for a bit.
- You can use for this recipe. Remove anything that you don't feel like eating (gristle, fat, etc.) and cut the meat into chunks. If the pan is very dry (it shouldn't be), add more oil. Add the beef into the pan with the onions, and fry until the beef is brown. Cooking the beef may produce some water in the pan. If so, carry on cooking until it's gone.
- Chop and add to the frying pan. Peal and chop some if you're using them, and add to the pan.
- You may wish to add some other ingredients (see below).
- Put the contents of the frying pan into your casserole. Add a spoon or so of flour to the ingredients, and mix them around. It will turn into a gooey brown mess, but don't worry!
- the frying pan by adding some beer or other liquid to dissolve the stuff left over from frying on the bottom of the pan.
- Carefully pour the result into the casserole dish. You really need to have the liquid covering the beef. Add a little water if necessary.
- Put the lid on, and put the casserole dish in the oven. This needs to cook for about two hours. You may need to check on the liquid level during cooking. Top up the level with water or beer if necessary.
- At the end of cooking time, it's ready to eat. If you have included potatoes in it, it may be enough by itself, otherwise perhaps some bread to accompany it.
Other ideas
This is not a traditional recipe, so you can really do what you want with it. Here are a few suggestions.
- One way of thickening a sauce with flour is a . This is another way. The original way to do it was to mix flour with the inevitable and then roll the raw meat in it. Then this was put in the dish with the raw vegetables, and a little liquid (probably water!) and then put straight it the oven with no frying at all. I prefer to fry the meat and onions as it adds a good brown colour and more taste. So the description above is a compromise.
- The recipe says carrots and celery. I used them as beef and carrots are a traditional combination, and celery goes well with carrots. You can replace them, or add to them, whatever you want. The British like swede, while the French think they are food for cattle! are good, but you can add any vegetable that will survive being cooked in a stew. I mentioned potatoes, to provide some bulk to the meal. However, since this is a good hearty British stew, I suggest not including anything too exotic, just for the feel of the thing. Of course, once you're confident with casseroles and stews, you can add whatever you want.
- You need some sort of liquid for the meat and vegetables to cook in. In the past, the British would often cook in water, and were accused by their continental neighbours of watery, tasteless stews. If you do use water, then make sure that it tastes of something! Add some , or , or , or herbs, or something!
- I've heard of a recommendation that a beef stew ought to be cooked for 4 hours at . That seems a long time, in a cool oven! But when I tried it, it does work, and the meat is tender. It's up to you! It does show that there is a wide variety of temperatures and cooking lengths.
© Jo Edkins 2007 -