Beef Stew

Wintertime is the ideal time for soups and stews. And the best meat to cook in these dishes is the meat that is generally the cheapest, because it requires longer cooking and more care. These are the meats that do well when they are braised.

Braising is simply cooking meat by first searing the outside in hot oil, then covering with liquid and cooking for a relatively long time, either on the top of the stove or in the oven. Both top-of-the-stove and oven cooking require cooking with less heat.

Beef Stew

The best beef cuts to use would be chuck or shoulder, leg or round, shanks, and stew meat (listed separately here because it's often a collection of the odds and ends or trimmings left after butchering the rest of the animal. My personal favorite is beef shank; it has a lot of collagen or connective tissue that provides great flavor and texture after it's been cooked a long time. It used to be very inexpensive, but I've found recently that it costs about the same or a little more than stew meat. Still a pretty good bargain, and it does taste great.

In making a chicken stew, I stick to using legs and thighs. Their meat stands up to stewing better, retaining the flavor of the bird. Breast meat just doesn't hold up and seems to lose all its flavor. The chicken can be lightly sauted before being covered with liquid (the traditional fricassee), but you don't lose much by just putting the pieces in a pot and covering with water.

The traditional method of braising beef would be to season the meat with salt and pepper and then sear it quickly in hot oil to brown it on all sides. This accomplishes two things: the searing of the meat helps to hold the juices in, and the caramelizing of the exterior adds depth to the flavor of your liquid. When the meat is browned, it is removed from the pan and flavorings are added for a quick saute. (In the professional chef world, the flavorings are called mirepoix, a mix of onion, celery, and carrot, all chopped. The ratio is 2 parts onion to 1 part celery and 1 part carrot.) The vegetables sauted until they just start caramelizing, another part of the depth of flavor of your stock. Then the meat is returned to the pan and liquid is added, usually just water, to cover the meat. Bring the whole thing to a simmer and cook until the meat is tender.

The cooking can also be done in a 300 degree oven, but I've never been very successful with that. The need to peek and stir is too well ingrained; opening the oven and pulling the whole thing out so I can give it a stir just doesn't work for me.

You can also skip the entire part about the vegetables. While they do add to the flavor, not having them handy should not deter your braising efforts. The stew I grew up with did involve searing the meat, but then all was covered with water and onion and carrots added an hour or so later. And it was a pretty good stew!

Mirepoix also adds to the flavor of the broth in braising poultry. It is not sauteed, but rather added to the pot along with the stock. The vegetables here need to be a smaller chop than that for beef, because you're cooking the whole thing for less time, generally not more than an hour or so.

If you're making a stew, you might want to thicken your broth. The chef way would be to make a roux of equal parts butter and flour, cooking it a bit to take away the flour taste. Then you'd whisk in your stock and cook until it thickened. However, you can also make a slurry of flour and cold water to add to your broth. Whisk the cold water into some flour to the consistency of milk. Slowly add a bit at a time to your simmering stock, whisking well, until you get the consistency you want.

Master these simple techniques for making delicious soups and stews. You'll save money while you proudly serve tasty meals. And there's nothing quite like a house filled with the aromas of gently simmering pots of good food.

How to Braise - Inexpensive Cuts of Meat Make Delicious Soups & Stews

Chef Judi is a graduate of culinary school and has worked as a professional chef and caterer. She recently rediscovered the utility of countertop toaster and convection ovens. Check out her new site at http://www.besttoasterovens.org

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