Beef Stew

Ingredients for Beef stew

This morning I woke up thinking beef stew, I was so full of enthusiasm for life and the day ahead, and thought to myself .... this is gonna be a great day to share one of my favorite recipes with all of you. 

This delicious beef stew is a comforting and soul-warming dish that can transport you to a cozy kitchen filled with enticing aromas.

This classic recipe combines tender chunks of beef, hearty vegetables, and a rich flavorful broth into a bowl of pure comfort.

With each spoonful, you are greeted by the melt-in-your-mouth meat, the earthy sweetness of root vegetables, and the depth of flavors, from aromatic herbs and sprices.

This mouthwatering beef stew is a timeless favorite that will warm  both your body and your soul.

Ingredients 450g stew beef cut into cubes.  You can also use beef still on the bone if you prefer. 1 large onion - diced 2 tsp crushed garlic. 1 tsp crushed ginger. 3 med potato's. 1½ cups frozen or fresh mixed vegetables with carrots. ½ a can crushed tomato's or 2 medium sized fresh tomato's finely chopped. 1 bay leaf. ½ tsp thyme or 1sprig fresh thyme. 2 Tbsp Tomato sauce or 1tsp tomato paste. 2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce. 3 Tbsp Olive Oil (which, by the way is very good for blood thinning). Salt and black pepper to taste. Thyme

Method Place large cooking pot on your hob and put in the oil and onions.               Cook onions until they are translucent. Add garlic and ginger and stir for a further 30 seconds. Add the beef pieces, spices and bay leaf  and stir. . Turn up the heat and brown (sear) the meat, stirring as it cooks for a further 60 seconds. Add the potatoes, carrots and chopped tomato.   Add the vinegar  Worcester sauce  and the tomato sauce. Lower heat and cook for about 20  minutes. Add your veggies, stir and simmer for a further 20 minutes or until meat is tender and check that the pototoe's are soft.  Remove bayleaf.

Plating

I always enjoy this part of cooking a meal, the hard work is done and now all you need to do is add what you and your family enjoy most, which could be anyone of the following:

• Traditional white, brown rice or Basmati
• Creamy mash potatoes.
• Peas.
• Cauliflower mash.
• Pasta of your choice.
• Mealie meal pap.
• Or as a Bunny Chow for those who would love to experience the fun of eating a  Bunny chow but cannot eat curry, replace the spicy meal with this beef stew.

This article was printed from Home-Cooking-Haven.com.com

Oven Temp's

Cooking Terms and Tips

Al Dente: Usually applied to Pasta, means cooked until just done, but not soft. The pasta should still maintain some "bite:

Barbeque:  To cook foods over coals, known as a Braai in South Africa (The best in the world for this type of cooking).

Baste: To moisten food for added flavor and to prevent drying out while cooking.

Blanch: To cook briefly in boiling water to seal in flavour and color.

Bouquet Garni: A tied bundle of herbs, usually parsley, thyme, and bay leaves that are added to flavor soups, stews, and sauces but removed before serving.

Braise: Two cook first by browning, then gently simmer till done.

Bread: To coat with crumbs or cornmeal before cooking.

Broil: To cook on a rack or spit during or over direct heat, usually in and on top.

Brown: Two cook over high heat, usually on top of the stove, to brown food.

Caramelize: To Heat sugar until it liquefies and becomes a syrup.

Core: To remove the seeds or tough woody centers from fruits and vegetables.

Cream: The butterfat portion of milk.   Also to beat ingredients, usually sugar and a fat, until smooth and fluffy.

Cube: To cut food into small ½ inch cubes.

Cut In: To distribute a solid fat in flour using a cutting motion, with 2 knives used scissors-fashion or a pastry blender, until divided evenly into tiny pieces.  Usually refers to making pastry.

Croutons: These are tiny cubes of toasted or fried bread, used as a garnish.

Coriander:  Also known as Dhania.

Dollop: A spoonful of soft food such as whipped cream or mashed potatoes.

Dot: To scatter butter in bits over food.

Dress: To coat foods such as salad with a sauce.  Also, to clean fish, poultry or game for cooking.

Drippings: Juices and fats rendered by meat or poultry while cooking.

Drizzle: To pour melted butter, oil, syrup, melted chocolate, or other liquid back and forth over food in a fine stream.

Experiment:   Always keep to the basics, but, take out and put in spices etc. to your tastes.

Fines Herbs: A mixture of herbs, normally parsley, chervil, chives and tarragon used to flavor fish, chicken and eggs.

Glace: To coat foods with glossy mixtures such as jellies or sauces.

Julienne: To cut into long thin strips match-sticklike in shape

Macerate: To soak in flavoured liquid; usually refers to fruit

Picked Over:  If you are working with lentils or other beans you might sometimes find a few little rocks that managed to sneak their way in, picked over means to make sure there are none left in what you are going to be using.

Poach: To cook gently over very low heat  is barely simmering liquid just to cover.

Puree: To mash or grind food until completely smooth. Usually in a food processor, blender, sieve, or food mill.

Ragout:  The basic method of preparation involves slow cooking over a low heat.

Reduce: To thicken a liquid and concentrate its flavor by boiling.

Render: To cook fatty meat or poultry - such as bacon or goose - over low heat to obtain drippings.

Sear:  To brown surface of meat quickly over a high heat, to seal in juices.

Simmer: To cook in liquid at just below boiling point, with only a few bubbles breaking the surface.

Skim:  To remove surface foam or fat from a liquid.

Seep:  To soak in a liquid just under the boiling point to extract the essence i.e. Tea.

Truss: To tie whole poultry with skin or skewers so it will hold its shape in cooking.

Whip: To beat eggs or cream with a wire whisk, eggbeater or electric mixer which increases the volume as air is incorporated into the eggs or cream.

Zest: The outer, colored part of the peel of citrus fruits.

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