Beef Stew Recipe - Celebrating Sweets (2024)

FAQs

How to add sweetness to beef stew? ›

Parsnips and carrots will definitely add sweetness as will caramelizing any of the vegetables that you use in the stew. I have used sweet potatoes in beef stew but I wasn't crazy about them and I also find parsnips too sweet. The vegetables I like are: Celery, Rutabaga, Russet or Yukon gold potatoes, and Carrots.

Vinegar can add depth of flavour to soups, sauces, and stews. Especially great for tomato-based recipes, you can add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar towards the end of the cooking process to amplify the flavours of your other ingredients.

A finishing diet of silage, corn, and distillery grains gives the beef a sweet, buttery flavor while a finishing diet of grass yields beef with a mild taste. Remember: fat determines flavor. So, if a breed (such as Wagyu) is genetically prone to marbling, it can reach the desired marbling score on a grass diet.

Adding baking soda to a soup raises the pH and contributes sodium ions, both of which make the pectin that holds many vegetables' cell walls together break down faster. The result? Restaurant-level creaminess.

Butter: softened butter mixed with flour helps gives the stovetop beef stew a luxurious thickness. Feel free to use vegan butter for dairy allergies/intolerances.

Cornflour is a great gluten-free thickener. It has a slightly more gelatinous texture, so only add a teaspoon at time or your sauce may become a bit goopy. Use cornstarch to thicken your stew towards the end of cooking, as cooking it for a long time can break down the starch and your stew will thin out again.

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.

What is the secret to good stew? ›

"Soups and stews really need to simmer for long periods to allow the ingredients to meld together. Taking that a step further, most soups and stews are better if you prepare them the day before serving. Allowing them to cool and then reheating them really helps bring out the flavors and textures."

(side note) Some of the flavor of the stew liquid is from those vegetables, especially the celery and carrots. You'll probably want to cook some with the meat, even if you discard (or puree) them.

Don't be tempted to rush the process, let the low heat do its thing. For the beef to get tender and the flavours to meld, it needs about 3 hours on the stove and at least 4 in a slow cooker. Your patience will be rewarded, and you can use that down time to make mashed potatoes and steam some green beans to serve.

Add lemon juice or vinegar to your stew one ½ tsp. at a time.

White sugar for marinades and dressings. It disappears quickly into the dish you're preparing, and adds sweetness without overpowering or affecting the color. Honey for subtle sweetness. A little goes a long way.