Stew

[maggiebee]

Took a notion to make a good old fashioned stew like my mum used to make. Had a look online but they all seem to have ingredients like balsamic vinegar, tinned tomatoes etc etc. My mum certainly didn't use any of these. Hate faffing around. Does anyone have a plain, simple recipe - stove top; oven; slow cooker. Thanks.

[douglas9401]

Cube beef, throw into slow cooker with a cup of water, sliced carrots, chopped onion and a good splash of soy sauce.
Cook for a long time then serve with tatties.

[tamaris]

I've just made one with onions carrots potatoes any veg you like really and chicken thighs. Seasoning to your taste. I put a bit of garlic etc. You can then take meat off bone if you wish. I puree a little of the broth to thicken. Hearty and warming and full of goodness.

[ummmm]

Chunks of lamb/beef, browned, onion, carrots and spuds, stock and whatever other root veg you want to add. S&P. Cook until the spuds break up and thicken the sauce.

[pastafreak]

This is pretty basic...

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/beef-vegetable-casserole

...or just do as douglas suggests.
Though "faffing" can sometimes introduce you to new possibilities ;)

[jazzyjen]

My recipe is very similar to Douglas’ except I don’t use soy sauce. Instead I use an oxo cube sprinkled into about 5 fluid ounces of boiled water, stir it until dissolved and pour over the meat and onions in the slow cooker.

[hc4361]

Cubed shin of beef, potatoes, carrots, swede, 1 parsnip, onions, at least 3 oxo cubes or 2 stockpot thingies, 2 or 3 bay leaves, water to cover, salt and pepper. Cook whichever way you like - hob, oven, slow cooker. If you like a thicker gravy stir in some gravy granules towards the end.
Throw in some dumplings half an hour before serving if you want.

[Rosie29]

Agree with all the above but I can never make a stew like my dear old Mum used to make. Good luck !

[maggiebee]

Thanks for all your suggestions folks. These certainly sound a lot more like the stew my mum used to make. As you say Rosie, will probably never be like my mum's back in the 50s but will give it a go.

[hc4361]

I think potatoes need to be cooked in the stew as they thicken it. Browning the beef in lard helps enormously with the flavour but drain the lard off before adding to the stew pot. My mother always put barley and lentils in but I don't. Red wine or ale is a nice addition.

[nannybooby]

Agree with hc ,just dice whatever veg you have as well celery ,peppers ,soft toms all grist to the mill ..my mum always said a good stew grows with what you have ,I like to add pearl barley not too much though x

[237SJ]

I make mine by chopping up some turnips and carrots and putting them in the slow cooker with about 3 peeled and halved shallots. I make stock with a knorr rich beef stock pot and some Bisto to thicken the gravy. I chuck that in with a dash of Worcester and maybe half a teaspoon of horseradish sauce. My Mum always kept the stewing steak whole and not diced which I think stops it from drying out so I lay the two steaks on the top then cook for hours. About half an hour before the end, I make a couple of dumplings and put them on the top of the stew (and spoon a bit of the gravy over them every now and again) I cheat with the dumplings and buy a mix rather than the suet ones that my Mum used to make.

[Maydup]

Our Mums will all have browned the meat in lard I'm sure, added pearl barley, and cornflower thickening to the final 10 minutes.

These days as a vegetarian, I love stew, but it starts with onions, root veg, lentils but still relies on the pearl barley! Anything else I have in the veggie drawer gors in, parsnips, swede, potatoes and courgettes, plus lots of veggie stock, tomatoes and puree.

[retrocop]

Look up Ragout. Pearl Barley is a must in any of my stews.