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Stew - Hearty, Nourishing and Nutritious
Stew cooks in one pan so there is little clean up, plus it makes for great leftovers
CARLA DUE
TEXARKANA, ARKANSAS
There’s something about fall that brings thoughts of football and cool, crisp fall temperatures. This is also the time when I think of a hearty, nutritious bowl of stew simmering on the stove. Stews are comfort food. What is more comforting than a steaming hot bowl of thick sauce, chunks of meat and vegetables infused with flavor?
Stews are any dish made by stewing, a method of cooking by which food is barely covered with liquid and simmered slowly for a long period of time in a tightly covered pot. Stewing not only tenderizes tough pieces of meat but also allows the flavors of the ingredients to blend.
What kind of meat should I use?
Lean cuts of meat can mean you may end up with tough meat in your stew. Cheaper cuts of meat are best, since most of them cook better in liquid. I purchase beef stew meat for my beef stew. The butcher has taken chunks of beef from the tougher parts of the cow such as the shoulder, leg, and butt, and cubed them. As tougher cuts of meat simmer, they become tender and add great flavor to the stew.
Sauté any fresh onions, garlic or shallots to add a rich caramelized flavor and smell to the stew. Remove them from the pan once caramelized or they will continue to cook.
What does dredging the meat in flour actually do?
If your recipe asks you to dredge the meat in flour, it means to coat the meat pieces in a flour crust which, when seared, will seal the juices inside the meat and provide a tasty crust. As an added bonus, the flour pieces make a roux to help thicken the stew.
When browning the dredged pieces of meat, be sure that there is a thin layer of oil in the bottom of the pan, and cook the meat over medium high heat. This assures that the edges of the meat sear quickly, but the meat is still uncooked. Do not overcrowd the pan with meat.
While you are browning the meat, you should see the bottom of the pan develop a thick coating. This will provide flavor to the stew; be careful not to let it burn. Once lightly browned on all sides, remove it from the pan and begin to deglaze the pan.
What does deglazing mean?
Deglaze means to add liquid to the pan and boil while you scrap the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. The bits will provide flavor to the gravy and generally dissolve during the cooking process.
How do I get tender pieces of meat?
After deglazing the pot return the meat, caramelized vegetables, and liquid to the Dutch oven. The secret to great stew is to simmer, not boil, the liquid. Since stews are best made with tougher, less expensive cuts of meat, slow cooking over low heat will allow the liquid to break down the tissue in the meat to tender morsels. Cooking it fast will yield firm tough, chucks of meat.
When should I add the veggies?
While some cooks add their vegetables at the beginning of the cooking time, it is actually better to wait until the meat has had a chance to simmer. This keeps the vegetables from being overcooked. You want the meat to be fork tender and the vegetables to retain their shape.
Stew cooks in one pan so there is little clean up, and it makes excellent leftovers. In fact, many times the stew is better the next day because the flavors have time to blend together.
I love to make Beef Stew with a Kick when it starts getting cool outside. Don’t let the ingredient list scare you; it’s fast, easy and permeates the house with a wonderful aroma. Plus, leftovers are even better the next day. Feel free to substitute vegetables according to your families’ preference.
Beef Stew with a Kick
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon each pepper, parsley
• 2 pounds beef stew meat
• 2 small yellow onions, chopped
• 6 large potatoes, diced with skins on
• 6 carrots, sliced
• 1 cup whole kernel corn
• 1 cup English peas
• 1 can tomatoes and diced chili’s, undrained • 1-64 oz can low sodium vegetable juice
Directions
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat.
In a plastic bag, mix together the flour, pepper, and parsley.
Add a small handful of meat at a time and shake until well coated Brown meat in hot oil, about 1 minute per side.
Remove the browned meat and continue until all the meat is browned.
Lower heat to medium and add chopped onions.
Caramelize onions, then remove and set aside.
Deglaze the pot by adding vegetable juice and bringing to a boil while scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add potatoes, carrots, onions, meat, corn, and English peas.
Stir together; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally. Serve with cornbread. ∆
CARLA DUE: County Extension Agent - FCS, University of Arkansas
Chili Served to Hungry Cowboys on the Trail
CARLA HALEY-HADLEY
TEXARKANA, ARKANSAS
Chuck wagon cooks had a tight schedule and limited resources while feeding 20 or more cowboys three meals each day. They made "a bowl of red" popular by chopping tougher cuts of beef and simmering it with lots of hot chiles for a long time. Today, we are passionate about our chili and it is hard to imagine it without garnishes.
Chuck wagon cooks had the job of feeding 20 or more cowboys three times a day. His resources were limited in the variety of foods available, the cooking utensils available and time. Three meals a day were cooked and served on a tight schedule. Purist say that ‘real’ chili does not contain beans. Knowing that rice and beans are good fillers, I wonder if chuck wagon cooks did not add these. It would cut down on preparation time; number of pots required and allow the cook to feed more hungry cowboys using less meat.
Today, everyone has their own chili recipe and idea of the perfect pot of chili. Some want ground beef, zesty chunks of tomatoes, and tender kidney beans. Others would not be caught dead eating chili with beans and prefer chunks of beef. On the cattle drives, cooks used chunks of meat, not ground beef.
Beef chili has one key ingredient, chile powder or chili powder.
Although used interchangeably, they are not the same. Chile powder is made of pure ground dried chile peppers. Usually, chile powder has no additives. Chili powder, on the other hand, is a blend of chile peppers and other spices, including cumin, peppercorn, oregano, and salt. The only way to tell is to read the ingredient label.
Chuck wagon cooks on the trail made “a bowl of red” popular. They were given the tougher, cheaper cuts of beef for their provisions, and would chop up this meat and simmer it with lots of hot chiles for a long time, until the meat became tender and was surrounded by a thick, spicy gravy.
On the trail, there were no garnishes for chili. Today, it is hard to imagine what a steaming hot bowl of chili be without the garnishes.
Set up a chili bar by setting out bowls of shredded sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack or other cheeses; diced red, white or green onion; sour cream; salsa of any type; chopped bell peppers; diced green chiles; sliced fresh or pickled jalapenos; sliced olives; diced avocado or fresh guacamole; cornbread, saltine crackers, tortilla chips, or corn chips. Then let everyone customize his or her steamy, delicious bowl of chili.
Most people are very passionate about their chili. However, it is evident from the multitude of chili recipes, and the countless chili cook offs that take place every year, that there may not be a definitive chili recipe. Besides, most of the fun is in the cooking, the tasting, the experimenting, the debating, and the sharing!
A pot of steaming chili is always a good choice. This chili, is great in the slow cooker simmering all day or simmer on the stove for at least 90 minutes. It makes 10 servings, and is even better the next day. If you have leftovers, use later in the week for a burrito pie.
Dang Good Texas Chili
2 pounds lean ground beef, cooked and drained
1 (46 ounce) can tomato juice
1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 cup chile powder
Optional: 1-15 ounce can each kidney beans, and pinto beans, drained and rinsed. In a large stock pot, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Simmer for at least 90 minutes. Serve with favorite toppings. If preparing in a slow cooker, combine all ingredients and set on low, cook for 8 to 10 hours, or high 4-5 hours. ∆
CARLA HALEY-HADLEY: University of Arkansas