My mother-in-law’s stew almost falls apart from tender doneness, while I almost can’t get rid of my mother’s tough slices. Where are the differences? And how do I prepare a nice pan of stew myself? I now know. It’s not difficult at all, as long as you have a good stew meat recipe.
Basic recipe for a tasty stew or string meat
You get a piece of meat tender by using the right temperature and good acids. This means searing the meat well at a high temperature and then letting it stew gently in a broth with the right acids. By searing the meat, you keep all the delicious juices inside and the meat does not dry out during cooking. The acid in tomato is great for getting the toughness out of the meat. Therefore, always add pieces or cubes of tomato. If you don’t have it in the house, you can also always add a dash of tomato ketchup. Tomato just has to be in there.
A dash of vinegar also does wonders for your steak. You also need onions, butter, beef stock (you can use a cube), pepper, salt, vinegar, cloves and a bay leaf. And, of course, a few hours of time. Other ingredients are not necessarily necessary, but are allowed. A carrot and a bell bell pepper are always good. Some people use sugar and flour or gingerbread for a sweet taste. Bread with mustard is also sometimes added. I recommend trying this basic recipe first.
Ingredients for stew:
- Stovetop meat such as beef or sukadelappen
- Onions
- Tomatoes
- Pepper and salt
- Margarine or butter
- Bouillon cubes (beef)
- Laurel leaf
- Cloves
- Shot of vinegar
Preparation method for stewing meat:
- Let the meat come to room temperature and rub the stew meat with salt and pepper.
- Take a skillet and melt a large piece of butter. Wait until the butter is hot enough that all the foam has disappeared.
- Place the meat in the pan and sear it by means of the hot fat on all sides (this way the juices can no longer get out). After this, remove the meat from the pan.
- Fry the sliced onion in the still hot butter until it is glazy. Add water and stock cube(s) and bring the stock to a boil. Make sure you have enough broth to cover the meat head on.
- Add tomato pieces to the broth, a dash of vinegar, a bay leaf and a few cloves. Bring to a boil again.
- Place the meat in the boiling broth and simmer very gently with the lid on for a few hours. The meat is done when it almost falls apart from doneness. If the broth boils down too much you can add some water.
- Enjoy! I prefer to eat it with green beans, rhubarb and crumbly potatoes. Just like my grandmother used to do.
Prepare for a few hours of salivating before you can start your delicious stew. Your kitchen will smell wonderful!
Buy the tastiest meat from the butcher
Want to buy delicious meat? Then visit your local butcher. Check out the map below for the different options.
