33 Hearty Stew Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What gives beef stew the best flavor? ›

Chicken broth.

If you have homemade beef stock, use it! However, most commercially produced beef broths taste rather fake; chicken broths are much richer and complex. Bay leaves and thyme – Aromatics for more flavor! Carrots, potatoes and peas are the staple of a traditional stew.

Go for the chuck

The most common beef used for stew is chuck steak, also known as gravy beef or braising steak. Beef chuck comes from the forequarter of the animal consisting of parts of the neck, shoulder blade and upper arm. It is easy to find and it's affordable, making it a great choice for your stew.

Ideally, you'll use beef stock, but beef broth is fine too. Veal stock would be divine. Instant bouillon paste will add flavor and is perfectly acceptable. Indeed, even if all you have is chicken stock, it will still be better than water and won't make your beef stew taste like chicken soup.

Cornstarch, potato starch, and chickpea flour are a couple of pantry-friendly ways to thicken soups, stews, and sauces in the slow cooker.

Chuck meat is your best bet for beef stew, but it's also a pretty tough cut so it needs time to break down and become tender. Rush the cooking process and the beef will be tough and chewy. Follow this tip: For really tender meat, cook the stew low and slow, for approximately two hours.

My way is to brown the beef which adds flavor, use a flavorful beef broth, and season the stew well. I also like to add a bit of dark roux or dry roux (browned flour) for flavor. My wife's way is to boil water, dry onion soup mix, and the beef for a while and then add the vegetables. Both stews are flavorful.

Personally I would add as many aromatics and flavor enhancing substances that I like. If the stew is already finished, then you can sauté onions, garlic peppers, celery and carrots then add them to the stew. I would also add some herbs and finally salt and pepper to taste.

Don't Stew the Stew Too Long Either

It might seem that cooking your beef stew on low for 8 hours will make it even better, but that is not true at all.

There is no real wrong answer for your beef stew potatoes — russets or red potatoes will work fine — but Yukon Gold potatoes have the best balance of texture and flavor to complement a meaty stew.

What kind of potatoes are best in beef stew? ›

The best potatoes for beef stew are those that hold their shape and texture well during cooking, providing a creamy yet sturdy addition to the dish. Yukon Golds have a creamy texture and slightly waxy consistency that holds up well in stews without becoming overly mushy. They add a nice richness to the stew.

Most recipes for beef stew start with cutting meat into cubes, then browning the cubes in a big pot. The idea is that browning builds flavor through the Maillard reaction, which will then get spread around through the whole pot as the meat and vegetables slowly braise in liquid.

A bit of tomato paste amps up the flavor of beef stew, giving it a richness and a punch of umami that makes the stew truly memorable.

Cut the potatoes into bite-sized chunks and add to the already cooking stew about 30 minutes before you stop cooking and plate the stew for serving (If the potatoes cook too long, they'll just get mushy or even fall apart and add nothing but a thickening starch to the sew.

Do you need tomato paste for beef stew? We recommend using tomato paste for this recipe. Tomato paste adds crucial flavor and body to the stew meat when cooked with herbs, garlic and wine.

What are the essential spices for stew? - Quora. The most common herbs and spices for a traditional beef stew would be thyme, parsley, bay leaves, and black pepper. In some cultures, there are also spices like sweet paprika, oregano, cilantro (coriander), or basil.

Spices Inc., an organization devoted to promoting the use and sale of spices, has a broad list of its favorite flavorings for beef: basil, bay, black pepper, cayenne, cumin, curry powder, dry mustard powder, garlic, onion, oregano, rosemary, sage, and thyme.