"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
9.44...
> About once a month I make a nicely seasoned beef roast using a good
> chuck roast cut into cubes, along with plenty of vegetables. Beef
> stock is the base, along with herbs, tomato paste, and a few other
> odds and ends. I always brown the seasoned beef cubes, and then add
> the vegtables and liquid mixture.
>
> I somtimes use a CrockPot, but my kitchen range has a setting to be
> used the same as a CrockPot, having a High and Low setting. Cooking
> on the Low setting takes about 8 hours. At that point I use some of
> the broth and some flour to thicken the the stew, also adding fresh
> corn and green peas before returing to the oven for 15-20 minutes.
> Results have always been consistent.
>
> However, we almost always eat the stew the same day and while the
> meat is fork tender, the texture of the meat, aside from tender, is
> almost always on the dry side even though there is plenty of liquid.
>
> This time I made a much larger bath of stew, enough for at least 2-3
> meals, so the leftover stew was put in the refrigerator for two days.
> Today I added a little bit of additional beef broth and put it back
> in the oven for about 30 minutes. The change to the beef was nothing
> if not magical. Not only was it tender as expected, but is was very
> moist.
>
> Sorry for the long post, but I would really appreciate some
> suggestions. Would a different cut of beef be a better choice? Is
> it better to cook the stew the first day without eating it, then
> store it refrigerated for a day or two and reheating?

I don't make stew often and when I do it is usually chicken. I agree that it
is better the next day. The flavors seem to blend more in the fridge.

If I make beef stew, I just buy whatever is already cut up and labeled as
stew meat. I will brown it if I make it on the stove. If I make it in the
Crockpot, I do not brown. I have tried browning and it seems to make no
difference. I don't usually add thickening to mine perhaps because I grew up
eating it with no thickening. Potatoes, onions, carrots and celery are a
must. Whatever else I add depends on what I have to use.

On 7/12/2017 1:20 AM, Julie Bove wrote:
>
> "Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
> 9.44...
>> About once a month I make a nicely seasoned beef roast using a good
>> chuck roast cut into cubes, along with plenty of vegetables. Beef
>> stock is the base, along with herbs, tomato paste, and a few other
>> odds and ends. I always brown the seasoned beef cubes, and then add
>> the vegtables and liquid mixture.
>>
>> I somtimes use a CrockPot, but my kitchen range has a setting to be
>> used the same as a CrockPot, having a High and Low setting. Cooking
>> on the Low setting takes about 8 hours. At that point I use some of
>> the broth and some flour to thicken the the stew, also adding fresh
>> corn and green peas before returing to the oven for 15-20 minutes.
>> Results have always been consistent.
>>
>> However, we almost always eat the stew the same day and while the
>> meat is fork tender, the texture of the meat, aside from tender, is
>> almost always on the dry side even though there is plenty of liquid.
>>
>> This time I made a much larger bath of stew, enough for at least 2-3
>> meals, so the leftover stew was put in the refrigerator for two days.
>> Today I added a little bit of additional beef broth and put it back
>> in the oven for about 30 minutes. The change to the beef was nothing
>> if not magical. Not only was it tender as expected, but is was very
>> moist.
>>
>> Sorry for the long post, but I would really appreciate some
>> suggestions. Would a different cut of beef be a better choice? Is
>> it better to cook the stew the first day without eating it, then
>> store it refrigerated for a day or two and reheating?
>
> I don't make stew often and when I do it is usually chicken. I agree
> that it is better the next day. The flavors seem to blend more in the
> fridge.
>
> If I make beef stew, I just buy whatever is already cut up and labeled
> as stew meat. I will brown it if I make it on the stove. If I make it
> in the Crockpot, I do not brown. I have tried browning and it seems to
> make no difference. I don't usually add thickening to mine perhaps
> because I grew up eating it with no thickening. Potatoes, onions,
> carrots and celery are a must. Whatever else I add depends on what I
> have to use.

I almost always brown the meat in a skillet even when I crock pot a
roast . The flavors produced by browning - actually caramelizing the
sugars - are nothing short of magical IMO . As far as aging , we have
found that soups and stews almost always benefit from a day or 3 in the
refrigerator so the flavors can blend and interact . Especially complex
sauces like spaghetti .

--

Snag

On 7/12/2017 9:00 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
> I almost always brown the meat in a skillet even when I crock pot a
> roast . The flavors produced by browning - actually caramelizing the
> sugars - are nothing short of magical IMO . As far as aging , we have
> found that soups and stews almost always benefit from a day or 3 in the
> refrigerator so the flavors can blend and interact . Especially complex
> sauces like spaghetti .

I agree will all that you said above. :-D

On Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at 3:00:37 AM UTC-10, Terry Coombs wrote:
> On 7/12/2017 1:20 AM, Julie Bove wrote:
> >
> > "Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
> > 9.44...
> >> About once a month I make a nicely seasoned beef roast using a good
> >> chuck roast cut into cubes, along with plenty of vegetables. Beef
> >> stock is the base, along with herbs, tomato paste, and a few other
> >> odds and ends. I always brown the seasoned beef cubes, and then add
> >> the vegtables and liquid mixture.
> >>
> >> I somtimes use a CrockPot, but my kitchen range has a setting to be
> >> used the same as a CrockPot, having a High and Low setting. Cooking
> >> on the Low setting takes about 8 hours. At that point I use some of
> >> the broth and some flour to thicken the the stew, also adding fresh
> >> corn and green peas before returing to the oven for 15-20 minutes.
> >> Results have always been consistent.
> >>
> >> However, we almost always eat the stew the same day and while the
> >> meat is fork tender, the texture of the meat, aside from tender, is
> >> almost always on the dry side even though there is plenty of liquid.
> >>
> >> This time I made a much larger bath of stew, enough for at least 2-3
> >> meals, so the leftover stew was put in the refrigerator for two days.
> >> Today I added a little bit of additional beef broth and put it back
> >> in the oven for about 30 minutes. The change to the beef was nothing
> >> if not magical. Not only was it tender as expected, but is was very
> >> moist.
> >>
> >> Sorry for the long post, but I would really appreciate some
> >> suggestions. Would a different cut of beef be a better choice? Is
> >> it better to cook the stew the first day without eating it, then
> >> store it refrigerated for a day or two and reheating?
> >
> > I don't make stew often and when I do it is usually chicken. I agree
> > that it is better the next day. The flavors seem to blend more in the
> > fridge.
> >
> > If I make beef stew, I just buy whatever is already cut up and labeled
> > as stew meat. I will brown it if I make it on the stove. If I make it
> > in the Crockpot, I do not brown. I have tried browning and it seems to
> > make no difference. I don't usually add thickening to mine perhaps
> > because I grew up eating it with no thickening. Potatoes, onions,
> > carrots and celery are a must. Whatever else I add depends on what I
> > have to use.
>
> I almost always brown the meat in a skillet even when I crock pot a
> roast . The flavors produced by browning - actually caramelizing the
> sugars - are nothing short of magical IMO . As far as aging , we have
> found that soups and stews almost always benefit from a day or 3 in the
> refrigerator so the flavors can blend and interact . Especially complex
> sauces like spaghetti .
>
> --
>
> Snag

These days, I don't do that - even though I've been doing that since I was a kid. I had some stew that the guy browned the mean on a charcoal grill. Hoo boy, that was wonderful!