After the last-ditch effort of summer to show itself, which led to the hottest October day ever recorded in the UK, autumn seems now to be just around the corner. Like a lot of people, the cooler weather and darker evenings at this time of year make me start to think about food that warms the body and the heart, such as a steaming bowl of nourishing beef stew.
During my teenage years my mother taught me some basic cooking skills. Among those were the slow-cooking methods stewing, casseroling and braising (sometimes also called pot roasting). The first two seem to have become amalgamated as one method, but traditionally stews have been cooked on the hob with plenty of liquid, casseroles in the oven with plenty of liquid and braised dishes in the oven with only a little liquid so the meat cooks in steam. Generally, stews and casseroles involve small pieces, such as cubes, chops or steaks, whereas braising is used for larger pieces of meat, from large steaks up to roasting-sized joints.
Slow-cooking meat has several benefits. First, it can be a thrifty option. The meat doesn’t have to look pretty and often contains some fat, sinew and possibly bone, so can cost quite a lot less than the so-called prime cuts. Secondly, said fat, sinew and bone lend loads of flavour. Thirdly, tough cuts of meat can become wonderfully tender. Fourthly, the judicious addition of vegetables, pulses and grains can make the meal go a long way.
Essentially, if you have the time and patience it’s pretty difficult to go wrong with stews – aside from burning them to the bottom of the pan! What seems more relevant is to discuss them in degrees of rightness for you. This article in The Guardian illustrates that there are as many approaches as there are cooks. The key things are to cook it long enough to break down the collagen, which will provide richness and make the meat tender and easy to eat, and to create plenty of flavour.
How slow a slow cook is will depend somewhat on the meat. For instance, chicken pieces on the bone might take about 1 h to 1 h 15 min, whereas a beef or mutton stew could take 2–3 h. This type of cooking, therefore, is not generally suitable for a rushed weekday supper. Taking the time to slow cook properly, however, is worth it. Stews and casseroles can be made in advance and easily reheated. They also freeze well. Another alternative is to invest in a slow cooker, prepare the ingredients in the morning and set it to cook throughout the day. I don’t own one of these, so I can’t vouch for the results. From the accounts of people I know who do have these devices, though, they can take a bit of getting used to, the results seem variable, and the published recipes need quite a lot of tweaking. I prefer being able to watch and amend.
As well as picking up flavours from the meat, the gravy will benefit from additions such as Worcestershire sauce, mushroom ketchup, herbs (eg bay leaf, bouquet garni etc; dried herbs are fine), yeast extract and salt and pepper. Other useful flavours might be tomatoes, wine, cider, celery, cinnamon, ginger... Even apricots are popular in Moroccan-type lamb stews.
Thickening the stew offers its own challenges. I tend to use plain flour, stirred in before the stock is added, and some additional corn flour paste towards the end of cooking if the gravy isn’t thick enough. Don’t add the corn flour too early, though, as the breakdown of collagen and the reduction of liquid during cooking will cause some thickening. Other popular methods are to add arrowroot, lentils, pearl barley or floury potatoes or to add a roux at the end of the cooking. I do like the pearl barley option, but it’s difficult to know how much it will expand and it does sometimes soak up rather a lot of the gravy rather than merely thickening the stew.
Barley and potatoes also serve to stretch the meal. The use of other vegetables will help this cause further as well as creating a tasty-one-pot-meal experience. I like carrots and swede (also known as rutabaga) because I enjoy the sweetness they lend, but other good options are turnips, beans, celery, peppers, squashes, leeks, mushrooms – whatever is available, really. Add them at different times to prevent them all disintegrating into slush or to get the best flavour out of them
Finally, an optional extra is dumplings. In the recipe for beef stew I’ve provided below, I’ve included cheese and herb dumplings. These should probably, however, be included as a treat rather than every time you cook stew, as they have a high fat content.
Since it looks as though we’re finally heading into autumn, perhaps now is the time to break out that stewpot.
Beef stew with cheese and herb dumplings
Serves 4–6
For the stew
1 large onion chopped
1 large stick celery finely sliced
1 tsp dried thyme
500 g stewing steak diced into 1 inch pieces
150 g baby button mushrooms (optional)
1 heaped tbsp plain flour
1 beef stock cube dissolved in 500 ml water
100 ml red wine (optional)
2 large carrots cut into large chunks
Half a medium swede cut into large chunks
2 dstspn Worcestershire sauce or 1 dstspn Worcestershire sauce and 1 dstspn mushroom ketchup
1 tsp yeast extract (if required)
For the dumplings
100 g self-raising flour
50 g vegetarian suet
25–50 g mature cheddar
1–2 tsp dried herbs of choice (eg thyme, oregano etc)
Pinch salt
Water to mix
In a large heavy-based saucepan, soften the onions and celery until the onion is translucent but not browned. Meanwhile, brown the meat in a hot frying pan then turn down the temperature and gently fry the mushrooms whole until they start to turn golden. Add the beef and mushrooms to the onions and celery then stir in the flour. Deglaze the frying pan used for the meat and mushrooms with red the wine (if using) or water and add to the saucepan. Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce and mushroom ketchup (if using) and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil then turn down, cover and leave to a simmer for around 1 h. Add the carrots and swede. Taste the gravy. If required, add the yeast extract at this point. Re-cover the pan and leave to simmer for a further 1 h.
To make the dumplings, put all the dry ingredients into a bowl and gradually mix in the water until they form a firm dough. Roll the mixture into eight equally sized balls. Place them in the pan so they are floating on the top of the stew. The dumplings will double in size, so ensure there is enough room to allow for expansion. Replace the lid and leave to simmer for a further 20 mins. Serve immediately with some potatoes or fresh crusty bread.
Tip: brown the meat a few pieces at a time to ensure it actually fries, which will ensure the meat is seared, rather than steamed, and enhance the flavour.
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