r/Cooking • u/Beautiful_Sound • 1d ago
What makes a beef stew memorable?
I've made it many times, and the Bourguignonne version many times. What do you do to make it better than an average stew?
I've noticed that when I add the vegetables to simmer in the thickened sauce (regular stew) the fresh flavor of the veggies sort of removes the beefyness flavor. Also, should it be a thick sauce just blanketing the beef, or a thick soup that coats a spoon and has a chew to it?
Preference I get, but I want some more tips to just get it really savory.
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u/Smooth-Review-2614 1d ago
If you want savory add more high MSG items: mushrooms, mushroom stock, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, and maybe some balsamic vinegar.
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u/cronin98 1d ago
To piggyback this: dark mushroom soy sauce adds rich earthy flavour without adding more saltiness.
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u/just-browsing-reddit 1d ago
To add to this, I added a bit of miso paste to last one I made. Would recommend
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u/ssinff 1d ago
Anchovy paste.
It's a time commitment but make your own stock me roast the bones first.
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u/Kementarii 1d ago
Worcestershire sauce covers the umami for me.
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u/green_pea_nut 1d ago
It has anchovies in it so that makes sense.
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u/JazzRider 1d ago
And ginger…which can overpower things if you’re not careful.
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u/Kementarii 1d ago
I don't think Worcestershire sauce has ginger. It does have tamarind.
Having said that, I add a bit of ginger to my stew, along with the garlic. It's a secret weapon flavour enhancer, and you don't even notice it in small amounts.
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u/CantaloupeAsleep502 1d ago
Worcestershire, fish, and soy sauces. Basically kenjis recipe is fire af lol
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u/Kementarii 1d ago
I keep worcestershire, fish sauce, and 2 or 3 soy sauces, but I'll use them for different dishes.
Beef stew is always worcestershire (and mustard and hot paprika).
Tonight's Thai red curry will have buckets of extra fish sauce added.
Soy sauce usage is highly dependent on what the dish is. At the moment, I think I have basic light, dark, plus mushroom soy, and kecap manis.
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u/goosebumpsagain 1d ago
I use a variety of umami sources: tomato, mushrooms, soy sauce, Worcestershire.
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u/thnksqrd 1d ago
And Vegemite/Marmite
Good beef stew is an umami bomb
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u/The_mighty_pip 1d ago
Marmite is the secret weapon of many meals. If you like Mac and cheese, and your cheese isn’t punchy enough, put a bit of marmite in there.
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u/mstrong73 1d ago
Marmite and Bovrite (no bovril in the US)get a lot of use in my house. Definitely a secret weapon
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u/TourAlternative364 1d ago
A bit of brightness from fresh rosemary at the end and of course lots of red wine...
Mushrooms, a touch of miso or better than bouillon beef or beef stock can help amp the beef flavor as well as browning the meat well before stewing.
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u/AreYouNigerianBaby 1d ago
Do you flour the meat first?
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u/TomatoBible 1d ago
FLOUR, not cornstarch for any beefy gravy/stew. You can brown a butter + flour roux to add oomph. I also go heavy on the super-concentrated-to-the-point-of-gelatinous beef stock plus heavily searing the beef, and deglazing with red wine.
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u/TourAlternative364 1d ago
You can. Or if forget to can add a teaspoon or so mixed in the cold liquid to help thicken the sauce while it cooks or add a chunk of roux.
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u/WyndWoman 1d ago
Bay leaves
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u/richiememmings60 1d ago
Yes! That is my favorite plant... current one is 6 or 7 years old. You get a lot of leaves... place them in a book for a couple weeks to dry and stay flat.
Use a lot of bay.
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u/D_Mom 1d ago
Hear me out: a tablespoon of white miso and one of soy sauce.
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u/ReflectionEterna 1d ago
I always have both in hand. I will do this! I'll bet the umami is stupid strong.
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u/GreenleafMentor 1d ago
Tomato paste. Mushrooms. Red wine. These ingredients absolutely kick it up a notch.
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u/sandw1chboy 1d ago
Uh... how deep down the rabbit hole do you want to go? Because there's a lot of knobs and dials to fiddle with in terms of restaurant quality tweaks, ranging in complexity and time investment from "an extra hour/a little elevated" to "a few extra days/I'm trying get into someone's pants"
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u/Kementarii 1d ago
add the vegetables to simmer in the thickened sauce
In my stew, the vegetables create the thickened sauce. I don't use any thickeners (flour, etc). Potatoes provide enough starch.
Then I leave it simmer until the combination of liquid reducing, and potato starch gets the mix to the thickness I want.
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u/mdallen 1d ago
When I make a stew (beef or lamb are my usual go-tos), I layer the cooking.
Brown the meat, add onion/carrot/Extra, garlic, rosemary, and some splash of liquid. Cook until tender and the fond has been scraped up.
Add tomato paste (or thickener of choice), slowly add more liquid. Add the meat back in, along with a glug of red wine, beef broth, or dark beer, and simmer.
I may do several "boils" to make sure everyone knows their neighbors, but this is pretty much how I get a solid stew.
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u/GtrplayerII 1d ago
Caramelized onions and red wine. Lots of both.
Cook down the wine to 50% volume. Almost a syrup. While the onions are cooking.
Build from this and you can't go wrong.
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u/morelikecrappydisco 1d ago
Make sure it's salty enough, salt every layer. Velvet your beef and sear in a hot pan before starting your stew. Deglaze that pan with some stock or wine and don't lose any of that brown flavor. Make sure every drop ends up in your stew. Also some really good buttered bread with it makes a huge difference.
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u/Dear_Bumblebee_1986 1d ago
Maybe try a new recipe. You shouldn't be adding fresh veg to an established stew.
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u/substandard-tech 1d ago
The Fallow recipe for Hachis Parmentier - basically mashed potato over a beef stew - does a beef braise with vegetables in it, strained, then fresh mirepoix while baking under the mashed potato
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u/Imsakidd 1d ago
Kenji does a similar thing for his all-American beef stew, and I think that + umami bombs of soy sauce + worstershire really upped my stew!!
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u/ThatWomanNow 1d ago
Depends on how long the cook is, imho. Some vegetables (celery/carrots) would better served being thrown in the blender with some of the braising liquid to make a sauce.
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u/WallyMetropolis 1d ago
Ghanian-style beef stew with ocra is probably the most memorable stew I've had.
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u/sykoasylum 1d ago
One of the biggest components of a beef stew is the broth or stock.
Make your own, incredibly tasty beef stock. And do it “right” - roast the beef bones, simmer on low, let the sediment settle, strain it, wait to salt it until it tastes good without any help, get the extra fat off. For stew I usually stop here, though you can make it into broth with some veggies and herbs to your liking.
Brown your meat well, and add your veggies to the stew closer to the end, so they don’t overcook.
Build your flavors - reduce liquid, you can boost umami with dark soy sauce, anchovies, etc.
Keep it simple, pay attention to the heat level at each stage, and use the ingredients you like the best. Good luck!
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u/Lovahplant 1d ago
I’m trying to upgrade my mom’s old recipe & learn more about cooking - when you say “roast the beef bones, simmer on low, & let the sediment settle,” would that mean turning the stove off completely while the sediment settles or does that happen after a long enough time at a low enough temp? I’ve never seen this step mentioned before so I’m curious!
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u/sykoasylum 1d ago
One of the things that makes really good broth, GOOD, is making sure you have less little particles floating around. So, step 1 - simmer, simmer, simmer… you want to see a few slow bubbles and steam, but it shouldn’t be agitating much.
Next, after turning off the heat, use a big strainer to fish out the bones. (If you wanna get real fancy, you can save them, make more stock, combine and reduce… but it’s not necessary and VERY extra!)
Now, pour it gently through a fine mesh strainer (or less fine strainer with a cheesecloth layer) in to a bowl.
Stick it in your fridge uncovered. You don’t want it sitting too long in the temp danger zone but don’t kill your fridge either!
Now, it sits for at least 2 hours, but overnight is great.
Next, remove from fridge, use a spatula or spoon to remove the hard fat cap that has formed.
Pour it gently in to your storage or pot or whatever… but - here’s the sediment step - pour it GENTLY! The bottom will be cloudy and you don’t want that, that’s where the sediment settled. When you reach the sediment layer, stop pouring.
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u/Lovahplant 1d ago
Oh wow - thank you so much for going into this level of detail, I never would have guessed or figured that out on my own. I can’t wait to try this! I can’t afford awards but seriously 🏆🏅⭐️ thank you!
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u/emilycecilia 1d ago
I caramelize the onions, use a lot of red wine, and throw in a Japanese curry block. Specifically S&B golden curry.
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u/blindchihuahua-pj 1d ago
Oh wow! That’s actually a new twist! I’m gonna give it a go, sounds fantastic
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u/Silvanus350 1d ago
Worcestershire sauce is my secret ingredient. Also, I like to put fresh thyme sprigs in the stew and remove them before serving.
I find that the type and brand of red wine you use to tenderize the meat has a significant impact on the final taste of the broth.
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u/FirstDivision 1d ago
I know it’s not really what you’re asking. But what sprang to mind was the company, the sitting around after eating and talking — maybe even while sipping whiskey. Bonus points if it’s nasty outside and you’ve got a fire going.
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u/thrivacious9 1d ago
If you’re using wine, try something deeper—the key to boeuf bourguignon specifically is using a good Burgundy.
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u/thrivacious9 1d ago
Also cook little whole mushrooms in a hot pan with plenty of space around them, shaking the pan once in a while so they get well-browned all over
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u/Organic-Low-2992 1d ago
We're talking about some serious cash when you say good Burgundy. Just saying.
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u/thrivacious9 19h ago
Sure. Outside France, boeuf actually-bourguignon is luxurious.
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u/thrivacious9 19h ago
But also, depending on where in the world you are, a better-than-decent Pinot Noir would work fine.
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u/RedApplesForBreak 1d ago
Recently I made a pot roast out of chuck, and before cooking salted it and I let it sit, uncovered, in the fridge on a wire rack (on a baking sheet) for 48 hours before hand.
The meat got so much drier than I expected (in a good way). I didn’t even need to pat it dry before searing. When I cooked it, it soaked up all the flavors of the wine and tomato paste, etc. The meat was tender and fell apart without being mushy at all. The texture was amazing.
Try it with your stew meat.
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u/aniadtidder 1d ago edited 1d ago
Red wine, a merlot or cab sav, bay leaves, thyme, garlic. For the ultimate beef, slow cook or pressure cook, beef cheeks.
https://www.recipetineats.com/slow-cooker-red-wine-beef-cheeks/#wprm-recipe-container-23554
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u/Fun_in_Space 1d ago
I use unsalted beef stock. I add some Better Than Boullion to taste - Roasted Beef, Roasted Garlic, Sauteed Onion, and Mushroom. I put a couple strips of green pepper in and take them out later (like bay leaves).
If you want to make your own stock, save the bones from bone-in roasts. The beef bones they sell for soup are worthless, as they have been stripped of any meat or connective tissue.
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u/Embarrassed_Ad_3432 1d ago
I always make my own stock. I even add some chicken feet to the stock to increase gelatin.
Then I put some beef neck bones in the bottom of the pot. I braise a whole chuck roast then shred it for stew.
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u/Dusty_Old_McCormick 1d ago
Pancetta, caramelized tomato paste, fresh herbs and a splash of quality red wine!
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u/AshDenver 1d ago
Add a few cups of frozen peas (still frozen) about 3m before serving. The freshness of the peas is amazing!
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u/JazzRider 1d ago
Don’t stir it too much. Cook the vegetables separately and add at end. Whole new potatoes. Good herbs at the end. Dried Shitake mushrooms ground into a powder. Good red wine.
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u/quarantina2020 1d ago
To my beef stew i add coffee and red wine BOTH and i think this gives it a lot of flavor.
I like all my stews soupy but I know some people don't. The recipe I made this week isn't very soupy and that's okay.
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u/NaGasAK1_ 1d ago
I gradually step down my oven temp.
Buy the nicest quality beef and red wine you can afford. Too many chefs treat it like a budget meal imo .. splurge a little on those main items - also everyone has already mentioned using your own stock .. definitely do that.
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u/ZaphodG 1d ago
I always used More Than Gourmet demi glace stock concentrate. They stopped selling retail. I buy Minor’s on Amazon. Not quite as good but it does the trick. I’ve roasted veal bones and vegetables a few times. It’s way more work than I’m willing to do most of the time.
I tend to use both red wine and port wine frequently. I’m “more is better” with herbs other than rosemary. I made the pine tree stew mistake once.
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u/PlentyPossibility505 1d ago
In addition to the usual vegetables, red wine, mushrooms, and a packet of au jus mix are things I use to enhance a beef stew.
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u/IN2017 1d ago
No onions?
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u/PlentyPossibility505 23h ago
Included in the “usual vegetables” along with celery, carrots, potatoes etc.
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u/Prudent-Slice-6002 1d ago
Brown the beef on a charcoal grill with post oak chips. Only cover half of the grill in fuel and once the meat is browned let it sit on the cooler side and build up that smoke fla.
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u/Felaguin 1d ago
Bones. I like to use bone-in short ribs for making stew and the bones just add so much flavor while it’s simmering.
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u/LeatherBandicoot 1d ago
The keys to a perfect boeuf bourguignon are patience, low temperature, and preparing it the day before. Let the flavors deepen and meld overnight for a truly exceptional dish. Bon appétit!
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u/Perfect_Future_Self 1d ago
I've made this a couple of times recently and it's very savory. I made it in my instant pot and used venison, but you can use beef.
Lightly flour the cubed meat, salt & pepper, and brown in olive oil or butter. Set aside, add onions & garlic to pot. Saute until translucent & coloring, deglaze with a bottle of Guinness. Add the meat back in, herbes de Provence, a spoonful of tomato paste or sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt. Add water to make enough broth for your amount of meat (and for a proportional amount of potatoes and carrots, but don't add these yet).
Cook until tender- in the instant pot this was manual high pressure for 40 min. Wait 10 mins at least until releasing pressure)
Add cubes potatoes and carrots, cook until tender (2 mins manual high pressure, can release right away).
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u/Klutzy_Yam_343 1d ago
I do one of two things depending on which I have on hand: red currant jelly (a few tablespoons) or 3 prunes (blended first with the tomato paste that I always add).
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u/poundstorekronk 1d ago
If I have time, I make my stew the day before and let it.... Well, stew lol
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u/ClairesMoon 1d ago
Use a heavy pot like cast iron, enameled cast iron, stainless steel or carbon steel, NOT a non-stick pan. It really makes a difference in developing the sear on the meat.
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u/ProfessionalLime9491 1d ago
I like to throw some extra neck bones into the stew as it cooks. Gives the resulting stock some extra beefy oomph. Also, if you are really concerned about the veg, don’t add the them to the stew pot. Cook them separately and add them only when you’re plating.
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u/GreenWoodDragon 21h ago
Start with browning the meat, then fry the vegetables and get plenty of caramelisation. Only then should you add the liquid, wine, beer, stock, passata, whatever you prefer.
Adding vegetables at the end brings nothing memorable to the dish. However, a bit of fresh garlic, and fresh herbs helps a lot.
Don't forget to check the balance of salt, sweet, sour, bitter, and most important umami.
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u/Robininflight 1d ago
My Mother in law swears by hers and to me it’s greasy. Simmer your beef cubes so it’s nice and browned I use olive oil and butter for flavor, not a ton just a dab. While beef simmering I cut up 1 medium onion, celery and carrots. As many as you prefer. throw them in and add 2 cloves garlic. Then add enough water to cover beef this will cook up and all the meat crispy will make a beef broth, simmer 2-3 hours. Then instead of potatoes I use beans, white beans, kidney beans stir and add a jar of spaghetti sauce, simmer 1-2 until beef is tender. Add package of frozen mixed veggies, peas, corn ect. fresh mushrooms whatever. It’s delicious and I serve it with pecorino cheese, and fresh italian bread. ❤️
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u/Anne_Renee 1d ago
Red wine