The weather is getting colder by the day which means we’re looking for warming, comfort foods to get us through until Christmas.
And, while we all love a roast dinner, it’s not do-able every day.
Enter: the perfect stew.
Stews are great for this time of year as they fill you up, can be hearty when filled with root veg and can be made in a slow cooker.
If you love stew, but find yours turns out mushy, too wet or chewy then we have the solution.
What's your favourite winter dish? Let us know in the comments below...
Daily Star Online spoke to top chefs to find out where we’re going wrong, plus their number one tips, for mind-blowing winter stew.
Ligia Lugo, culinary expert, recipe developer and co-founder of The Daring Kitchen, explained the biggest mistakes we make when it comes to hearty stews:
Using any and every cut of meat.
This is one of the biggest mistakes you can make when making beef stew.
A marbled ribeye might be appealing, but tender steaks are wasted by a slow simmer or braise.
If you try to braise a ribeye all of that fat will be lost, leaving you with dry beef that you wouldn’t want to eat.
Filet mignon is too lean and won’t benefit from the slow cooking required of a stew.
Your go-to options are heartier, tougher cuts of beef like chuck roast (the front shoulder) or round roast (from the rear).
They are tough and chewy if you cook them quickly, but if you simmer them the collagen and fat will melt and tenderise the protein.
Another plus is that they are cheaper than the prized cuts.
Throwing the beef in raw
To add a savoury flavour to your stew you should always sear your meat before the braising process.
Brown the cubed meat in batches so you don't overcrowd the pot and steam the meat instead of browning it.
It will caramelise on the outside without cooking through.
That caramelisation adds extra depth and umami (savouriness) to the stew which is otherwise lost if you just throw the meat in raw.
Throwing all ingredients at the same time
Don’t just throw everything in the pot and hope it turns out delicious.
The meat used in the stew needs to cook way longer to become tender than the veggies.
If you put them in at the same time the carrots, potatoes and peas will turn to mush by the time the meat is ready.
Add the chopped hearty veggies about 45 minutes before the meat is done cooking, this will allow for enough time to cook until tender without making them into mush.
If you plan on adding more delicate veggies like peas wait until a few minutes before taking the stew off the heat.
Not using wine
Cooking the meat in wine enhances the stew. All that braised goodness can be a bit heavy.
Use some wine, vinegar or even lemon juice to lighten and brighten it up.
Braising the meat in water
Yes, a stew means meat braised in liquid but no one said that the main liquid should be water.
Beef or veal stock and beef broth are all great choices to add extra flavour to the stew.
Other options include vegetable and mushroom stock and basically anything but fish stock.
Don’t serve the stew solo.
Polenta, thick-cut baguette or egg noodles are an ideal companion.
Don't use thickeners.
Yes, stew is heartier than soup but that comes from the fact that the pieces of meat and veggies are bigger than in an ordinary soup.
The potatoes will contribute the starch that the stew needs and make it thick enough.
James Cochran, head chef 12:51 and Around the Cluck, and Great British Menu winner, added his top tips:
The slower the better
I would say 85 degrees Celcius for eight hours is required – cook it overnight to wake up to a house smelling of meat.
Add a table spoon of marmite
The yeast extract gives the dish richness whilst cooking.
Marinade the meat 24hrs prior to cooking
I like to use red wine with an array of spices.
Nutmeg, clove and cinnamon work well and are perfect flavours for this time of year.
