I recently received a new Amana stove and I am very upset with it. It has closed burners, which means the flames do not heat the center of the pot, they go up the sides, and I cannot get it low enough to simmer anything, even with a metal protector grate underneath it. The only thing I can do is hope the oven will heat evenly and use that, which it does not seem to do, either. Moreover, the grates on top of the stove are so slippery, a boiling pot could easily slide off and onto the cook causing major burns. What are stove manufacturers thinking? I know these burners are designed for certain kinds of pots, but even my thick-bottomed pots still get too hot. I'm hardly going to rush out and buy all new cookwear. I saw another stove a friend of mine has, a different brand, and the exact same dangerous grates. Please do something about this! I can only hope that by scrubbing and scraping, they will lose that slipperiness.
1
I come from a long line of cooks that used the water and onions. But, as of the last 2 years, I have been browning the meat in a dutch oven and then adding beer. I let it bubble away; then add water and put in the oven. It is so yummy. I agree with you that nothing beats a dutch oven and slowly cooking the stew. I will try your version with red wine to compare the 2.
2
Overnight in the oven on very low 150 F is amazing! Amazingly delicious and you wake up to such a marvelous aroma.
4
One word - Guinness!
Try this - https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/234534/beef-and-guinness-stew/
3
Second that! My favorite is a lamb stew recipe - beef is easy swap - that incorporates Vietnamese cinnamon and 5-spice powder. Its creator was a former Vietnamese orphan who was adopted by Irish-Americans and raised on Chicago's South Side. He created it to honor his adoptive mother's traditional recipe, while informing it with his Asian roots. Incredible!!!
3
I realize that there are as many recipes for beef stew as there are for chili, but let me add my two cents. Get a pressure cooker...the only way to go...beef stew in under an hour that tastes as if it's been cooking for days!
4
If you're going to make beef stew with beer, look into "Carbonnade Flamande"--Belgian beef stew, authentically made with Goudenband, a slightly sour beer. Just beef, onions, beer, and a bit of thyme.
1
Looks good!!!!!
1
"Real wine was simply not available to most American cooks until well into the 20th century" ?! Huh?
5
Sad but true.
3
Yeah, I scratched my head at this assertion. Real wine may have been hard to find for “most cooks” but to state that it wasn’t available seems a bit of a stretch.
2
The planet is burning thanks in large part to animal agriculture, and cows especially: why on earth are you still promoting meat dishes such as this? Why not present equally savory meat-alternatives in this and other dishes?
It's way, way too late to worry about the planet - it's a gone. No possible way to reverse the damage. The patient is terminal. So might as well enjoy yourself with a nice beef stew. Just don't get carried away and have kids. That's the best advice.
18
Because the new York Times food section is not just vegetarian. Jeesh! They do publish many vegetarian recipes. I certainly agree with you about the planet but this is not the place to get preachy about it.
8
Because it's already been done. See Lobio from Melissa Clark.
Besides, the job of a food writer isn't to "promote" or "endorse" a particular life style, it's to explore as many facets of cuisine as people are interested in.
6
Dear Ms Moskin,
I tried your recipe and with all sue respect, it does not shine a candle to James Beard's Boeuf a la Bourguignonne as given in his book, American Cookery.
Most of the ingredients are similar. Your preparation is a bit fussy and you omit Beard's finishing touches which make this dish so memorable; pearl onions, sauteed mushrooms and boiled new potatoes.
Will you compare the two recipes and give your opinion?
6
You are so right. And I hope Beard also threw in a last minute dollop of dijon mustard and a splash of the Rhone wine that was used in the stewing to brighten it.
3
Brilliant! Yes, use your oven. Check out Molly Stevens' "All About Braising" not just for recipes but for an education.
4
Good article and recipes. Great to see Richard Olney cited and recognized for his contributions to American cuisine.
1
Beef stew (bourguigunon) is my star dish. I learned from my mother who for some unknown reason knew how to cook it in the 50s/60s and Julia Child. Sear beef chuck, deglaze pan, add to slow cooker. Cover with wine and some beef stock, add herbs especially thyme, carrots, celery, whole onion and cook in slow cooker until meat is soft. Remove vegetables and add baby carrots, carmelized onions and peas and tomato paste. Defat sauce if necessary, cook down and add butter and flour to thicken. The best.
2
I love making beef stew in a slow cooker, but I have a few questions about this recipe which I hope Julia Moskin can answer. Why use chicken stock instead of beef stock? Why discard the beef fat and then render fat from expensive pancetta? Just saute the veggies in a modest amount of beef fat. Any why discard the cooked celery when it is perfectly tasty? That's not very frugal. I also don't think marinating the meat is really necessary and would be interested to know whether anyone has done blind tastings comparing non-marinated beef stew with marinated. Tip: I use a sun-dried tomato instead of tomato paste, so I don't have to open a whole can of the latter, which inevitably goes to waste. Also, I have a GE gas stove from Sears with a small back burner that is perfect for simmering when set to the lowest setting. I'm not sure why a professional like Julia does not have a better stove than what a frugal home cook like me has.
3
1. Store-bought beef stock tends to have more salt, and less unctiousness, than store-bought chicken stock; the story is different for homemade stocks.
2. Pancetta is more readily available from most supermarkets than beef fat. (Personally I'd prefer to use a vegetable oil for this sort of sauteing.)
3. Some people find cooked celery to be bitter compared with the other ingredients. Also, some types of celery have "strings" that can be a chore to remove prior to cooking.
4. Tomato paste is also available in toothpaste-style tubes, which are ideal for dosing (and easier to find than true sun-dried tomatoes).
3
Check Harold Mcgee on the Food and Cooking. 20 years ago he noted that marinating meat is a mistake. It DOESN'T get the flavour into the meat, it simply turns the outer layer into mush. Kenjo Lopez-Alt has also done experiments on this
1
Big pieces of beef and vegetables, Dijon mustard and some tomato paste instead of a long list of herbs...there have been battles over my stew.
2
Ever since I read modernist cuisine 6 or so years ago my whole take on beef stew has become completely deconstructed, and I’m not really sure I ever want to go back. By cooking each component perfectly, and assembling at the end, there is a much more sophisticated and refined result, no less deeply tasty. One simple method is to Brown the beef first, then cook down the wine and vegetables separately, cool, vacuum seal and sous vide with the meat 3 days at 131f so that all the collegen converts to gelatin, making the beef fork tender, while never giving it a chance to heat enough for the protiens to shrivel up and dry it out. That’s one simple variation but there are many more, and the results are outstanding.
5
This sounds just about perfect, though stews, for me, tend to be synonymous with winter. But here on the East Coast, spring this year looks a heck of lot like winter so it is timely.
3
My late mother, in England, always cooked beef stew (and all other stews) in the oven. And when I have time, so do I.
7
I have to tell you that my eyes sometimes glaze over when I see the long list of ingredients or unnecessarily complicated procedures that make a recipe Times-worthy. When we were gutting our kitchen a few years ago and cooking in the basement, I stumbled upon McCormick’s slow cooker beef stew spices in a packet. Mix the contents with red wine instead of water and throw it into the slow cooker with two pounds of well-trimmed and cubed chuck (browning not necessary), half a chopped onion, a pound of baby carrots and a few cloves of garlic. Simmer for 8 hours. Just before serving, toss in half a pound or so of sautéed mushroom slices. Serve with good bread, a salad, the rest of the wine and you’re done. We’ve been amazed at the results.
13
I am very curious that beef stew, or perhaps the search for a perfect beef stew, results in either an eternal life, or involves reincarnation. How is it possible for the author to know that the quest is a lifelong quest if she is writing about her quest?
The second sentence is even more interesting since the search is even longer than a lifelong search if someone is perceptive enough to "realize that there isn't one perfect beef stew, but constellations ..."
I wonder if two itentical twins were to both search for the perfect beef stew were to be separated. One remains on earth, while the other is sent into outer space (perhaps towards Taurus) and then returned. Would they both be the same age, or is there a point where eternity just that, eternal.
5
For anyone that doesn't want to add bacon to their stew, here's a useful tip I picked up from Giada de Laurentis on her Everyday Italian show; drop in a piece of Parmesan rind instead, which will give the same salty and savoury taste to a stew as bacon or pancetta.
When you get to the end of your Parmesan wedge, cut the rind into pieces and freeze until required. I've tried it and it works!
6
I am perpetually confused by the contradiction in most braising recipes to both brown the meat and to cook it slowly. In the link to Kenji-Alt's (a very interesting food writer) article he uses chuck steak to brown and after browning he cuts it into stew pieces, refraining from over-cooking the meat in the browning process, Genius.
4
I've been using an electric skillet (remember those) to make beef stew for 40 years. Good for browning and I can turn it down to barely simmering (200-220 degrees). Although this is American Stew, I always add red wine to the mix but not as much as I add to boeuf bourguignon (Julia Child's recipe is great). It's wonderful and even better the next day. Meat and vegetables are caramelized. It takes more watching than a slow cooker but you can add the vegetables at the right stage for cooking properly.
4
I recently went through a phase where I wanted a slow cooker/instant pot. I ordered one and unpacked it to make a quick short rib braise. I kept going back and forth, staring at the slow cooker and my Le Creuset dutch oven. Finally, I repacked the slow cooker and made my short ribs the old-fashioned way. Over the course of the next three hours, the aroma slowly filled the house, and as each of my kids came home, I could see them sniffing the air and smiling as they made their way into the kitchen. The instant cookers may make life easier, but I don't think they generate the same warmth as a stew or braise cooked long and slow over a gentle fire. I'll stick with my dutch oven and stockpots, thank you.
14
Crockpots are wonderful, as are dutch ovens.
I went through a similar phase but with coffee makers. I had a $29 programmable Mr. Coffee. Then Keurigs came out, and I bought one for $120. I missed the sound and aroma of brewing coffee in the morning so much that the Keurig went back into its box and into the garage, and I went back to my Mr. Coffee.
3
For years I used Julia Child's recipe for Beef Bouguignon. It's great. A few years ago I substituted a bottle of Guinness for the wine. The results, at least to my taste, were sublime. We also bought an Instapot a while ago and have tested it out on several recipes. It's fine for some things, such as soups, but the results for a stew are disappointing. If you have the time and don't mind the wait and occasionally checking the progress of the stew and the liquid level, enameled cast iron in the oven on a low temperature is the way to go; it produces a deeper and richer liquid. Under those conditions I have found that one can put the potatoes in with the rest of the vegetables from the outset, and they don't fall apart. Instead they absorb flavors. I use Yukon Gold or even Russets if the former aren't available.
7
The Le Creuset Dutch oven is our favoured tool too. Our best results begin with bacon as the first layer in the pot, then the trinity followed by chuck roast cubed and seasoned. The pot with the lid off goes into a 300 degree ceramic charcoal cooker with a ceramic plate setter to facilitate indirect heat. Mesquite chips are added to the fire and after 30 minutes the temperature is dropped to 250 degrees, a bottle of wine is added in along with olives, diced tomatoes and a bouquet garni containing orange peel. Finally the lid is put on with parchment paper used to seal it even tighter to the pot. Four hours later and its time for a day or two in the refrigerator. For other ideas reference the books on French Provincial cooking by Elizabeth David. The smoke creates a big flavour boost and gives it an authentic rustic note that reminds me of my Grandmothers kitchen where she cooked on a wood stove.
1
I have been making different sorts of casseroles all my life, but rarely put potatoes in the pot - so many stews are perfect served with mash. Irish stew is an exception.
But I was interested the article didn't mention cooking with beer - not just Guiness - which I do regularly.
2
A wonderful article. But why, pray tell, is it appearing in April as stew season is ending. This article should have appeared in October.
Yes, the various commenters are all correct re use of slow cookers, induction units and other non-oven methods of providing gentle heat.
In a nod to Eric Asimov's number one choice of wine; in our house we refer to the colder months (which are meant for the warmth of preparing and eating stew) as "Cotes du Rhône weather".
2
Because Howard, it's still winter in places other than NYC. We had snow, sleet and now rain pouring over the two feet left in my yard. Living through yet another cold snowy/rainy spring day we could use some of this stew! I'll think grill when the sun comes out.
8
Howard: two days ago I was cleaning 5" of snow off my car, and I just heard more cold weather is coming later this week. I'm keeping my dutch oven on the stove. I'm sure I'll be working with it for the next few weeks, climate change deniers notwithstanding.
4
Howard, New Jersey has had gusty winds since Wednesday that makes it feel like 20 degrees out there. And the temps have been in the 40s for weeks. Until we get a consistent run of 60+ days, it’s still winter.
2
I've been making beef stew for 50 years, and everyone loves it. The best beef stew I've ever made was done in the Instant Pot. 35 minutes under pressure instead of hours in the oven, and the results were better.
2
I will never change my lovely Le Creuset Dutch oven for an InstaPot! But then, I'm pushing 80.
7
Thank you, Mr. Asimov, for stating the simple premise of cooking with the wine paired with the stew. This produces not just a link but an infusion of subtlety and depth. And the gravy - well, luscious complexity.
2
Seems to me he's actually recommending the opposite. While you certainly shouldn't cook with something you wouldn't drink on its own, why not amp up the drinking wine? Most of the wines he recommend for drinking with the stew cost $40-50 and up at retail. You don't need to cook with wines of that level.
4
Over the last several years, I have come to use the reliable heat of the oven to cook more and more things, including stews and even pasta sauce.
4
Thanks for the tip on braising in an oven. There are ranges or cook tops that can manage very low heat. Basically they turn select burners on and off.
The last batch of beef stew found me with no beef or chicken stock so I used vegetable stock. I made for a "light" and delightful version of the dish, with perhaps a bit too much "sweetness" (not from the wine, btw), but I plan to make it this way from now on.
1
No matter what I do, traditionally, the meat DRIES OUT! Now I've learned to cook the meat in a pressure cooker and everything else on the stove and combine at the end. Heresy? Non.
KBD - I've never had meat dry out if I use a heavy-lidded pot and don't lift it until the end, and cook on a truly low temp (e.g., 250-275), in the oven. Of course you may prefer the pressure cooker now but if you go back to the bigger appliance sometime, perhaps you'll give it another try. I have a Le Creuset pot that I use but these days there are some pretty good, less pricey, almost as heavy alternatives.
5
There are as many ways to cook a perfect stew as there are stars in the sky.
9
I couldn't imagine making boeuf bourgignon in any thing other than my 20 year old Le Creuset casserole dish.
I am in my 70's and can't lift the pot into my oven, even empty, let alone full. However, there are ways to get around this. I have a gas stove, and a gas mat - maybe Americans call them a gas tamer, I don't know.
Once you have browned the meat, vegetables, etc, and added the wine, I can turn down the flame, with the gas mat underneath the pot, and keep the stew to a bare simmer. I can't do this without the gas mat.
I find the flavour is no different from a stew that's been cooked in the oven, and I've been making Boeuf Bourgignon, and my other French favourites, Coq au Vin and Lamb Navarin for the last forty five years.
Getting older, I have felt limited by not being able to lift, bend, and all the other things that make life more difficult as you age. There is no way I could bend down and put an empty Le Creuset casserole in my oven, let alone a full one.
Working out how to achieve the same results, via different cooking ways, is very satisfying. My stove has four burners, and my Le Creuset casserole dish sits on the back left hand burner permanently, when not in use, also when in use.
11
I have a “gas mat. I have always called mine a diffuser and it is invaluable.
I originally bought it to use under the pot when making a pasta sauce.
3
Thank you for mentioning the gas mat (and Maura for the term diffuser). We bought a Samsung gas range about a year ago and because we have propane instead of natural gas, it's terrible hot, even the lowest heat burner. (I'm told that is the reason, at least.) I love to braise and cook in the oven but I too am starting to really feel the weight of my extra large Le Creuset pot. I have to lift weights a week before I'm going to use it to prepare! So maybe I can find a gas mat/diffuser and rescue my morning eggs!
2
I am 72 and I lift weights. Just a 10 minute arms routine every 2nd day using either 3 lb or 5 lb weights or mix them up. I started doing this as my granddaughter loves to run at me full tilt expecting me to pick her up.
Now she is over 40 lbs so gotta keep at those weights.
Also useful are the egg shaped rubber thingies that you squeeze to make yr hands stronger. I started using these as PT after having a broken wrist. I read somewhere that Ted Williams used them constantly.
I bought both the diffuser and the “eggies” on Amazon.
2
Mistakes are all mine (JM wrote this, not EA - apologies all around).
Corrections as follow:
So... I've learned a good deal here:
1: Cross a visit with JM off my bucket list (or at the least, save it for last) - an Unattended oven is a recipe for disaster and quite frankly, decidedly UNneighborly and displays wonton disregard for the well-being of flora and fauna and the safety of the men and women who dedicate their lives to putting out fires.
2: Even the great JM is reduced to hawking uninspired products which can invariably endanger pets and children and anyone cooking while talking and counter tops -
YES folks, those gadgets get VERY hot on the outside and underneath (melting/scorching countertops) - nobody talks about that!
1
Nothing better than a Carbonnade Belgian beef stew made with beer.
4
Le Creuset.
3
It doesn’t have to be Le Creuset.
There are now various brands of enameled cast iron pans on the market. E.g. Cuisinart among others. Plus TJMax and Marshalls usually carry these: sometimes a glut of them in all sizes/colors, other times less so.
2
No, but I love mine, a 10 qt. Dutch oven.
I looked at other Dutch ovens than Le Creuset but a lot of them are heavier. The Lodge 7 qt weighs 18# vs 12# for the Le Creuset
1
Stew slow cooked in the oven tastes the best, but many of us need to combine our love of good food with the practicalities of life. I don't like leaving the oven on while I'm out of the house, so at the weekends I'll brown my meat and vegetables on the hob, add herbs and liquid and then throw it all into my electric slow cooker for about 6-7 hours while I get on with my errands, shopping and everything else I need to do.
I start off with less liquid, which enables the meat to continue browning and caramelising in the slow cooker, and then top up with water/stock as needed. Tastes almost as good as cast-iron oven cooking, especially when saved for a midweek dinner.
4
I use either Guiness Stout (not Draught) or a cheap bottle of Shiraz (my go to is usually Yellow-Tail), When using the Guiness I will pair the meal with the stout or a porter (Founder’s being my go-to). When using the Shiraz I will pair the meal with a Cabernet or Pinot Noir. I find myself using the Guiness around the holidays when a porter or stout is sought after in the colder months. I’ll use the wine when I’m trying to fancy-up an otherwise simple (yet delicious) dish. I would never spend a lot of money on the wine you are using to cook with. Rather buy a cheaper bottle for cooking, and spend a little more on the bottle you plan to put on the table and serve with the meal. Cheers!
4
@ John NJ
My apologies in advance, but I am shocked by anyone's liking Yellow Tail Shiraz. How low does one's tastes fall? :-))
Oh, please!
1
Yellow-tail reminds me of that 1970s-era New Yorker cartoon of the tanker truck flying down the highway with "white wine" emblazoned on the side. Seriously, John, get a 12-14 buck bottle of Rhone.
2
I cook stews and boeuf bourguignon in a Romertopf glazed clay cooker in the oven. There is nothing better. It's especially wonderful for veal roasts.
3
So... I've learned a good deal here:
1: Cross a visit with Eric Asimov off my bucket list (or at the least, save it for last) Unattended ovens are a recipe for disaster and quite frankly, decidedly UNneighborly and displays wonton disregard for the well-being of flora and fauna.
2: Even the great E.A. is reduced to hawking uninspired products which can invariably endanger pets and children and anyone cooking while talking and counter tops -
YES folks, those gadgets get VERY hot on the outside and underneath (melting/scorching countertops) - nobody talks about that!
1
Stews, boars and wines. Meat dishes are my favourite. In particular, roasts and stews. But one above all of them is my favourite which is why I enjoy so much preparing it. Stewed boar. I begin preparing all my ingredients around 5pm. Boar meet is a popular meet in Italy, Tuscany especially. It clearly has a strong gamey taste so is not often liked by everyone unless slow-cooked for a long time. And yes it is vital to brown the meet first. I do this on my 35yr old heavy-weight aluminium Calphalons. High temperature gas stove using olive oil to brown the meet quickly thus sealing in the juices. Then the “fun” part begins with the preparation of all the vegetables that will go together with the meet. I also add dried prunes and apples to the usual recipe of potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, onions and shallots, herbs and juniper berries. And plenty of red wine. A good Syrah is what I prefer because of its spice, but a rosso di Montalcino is excellent. I put that in a pre-heated oven to 300°C for about 1 to 2 hours depending on size of casserole, then let it cook over night at 150°C, turned off in the morning. Ready to be heated and finished at high temperature again for lunch or dinner. All the while topping with red wine and stirring to check. The meet turns out to be like butter it’s so tender and the sharp taste of the meet softened by the slow over night cook.
5
Red wine tannin destroys the integrity of the stew.. Rustic Italian "beef" stews [usually prepared with wild boar] always use white wine...
4
You’ve never heard of the Italian classic beef in Barolo??
3
I have never understood why people make stew on the stove top. A slow (275F) is the only way. My secret ingredient? Bacon fat for brownin g, especially with wild meat. Also, cheap cuts contain lots of collagen and other connective tissue and lead to meltingly luscious stews. Lean cuts just go dry and stringy.
10
No, what's best is to trim off the fat from your cut of beef -- chuck, bone in, is good -- render the fat in your skillet or dutch oven and then brown the floured meat in its own fat. Discard the fat residue (but not the brown stuff on the bottom of the pan, add the veggies, liquid, etc., and cover tightly etc.
1
As I got older [I am seventy-six], I found that making beef stew with white wine resulted in a good deal of tenderness and flavor but without the excessive richness which, increasingly, I found affected my gastrointestinal well-being.
8
The best beef bourgignon I had was in a burgundy chateau and simply made with onions herbs carrots and white wine. I recreated it at home and it was wonderful. More beef stews should be made with a nice whit burgundy. Consumed after a days rest with a threat bottle of red
3
A friend of mine simmers his brisket on top of the stove for at least 15 hours, yes--15. I have eaten his corned beef on two different occasions, and it is fork-tender absolute heaven. He simply covers it with water and simmers, end of story.
I cook cuts of beef and ham shanks in my old-fashioned stove-top pressure cooker, 40-45 minutes. In beef stew, for convenience I use Amato tomato paste in a tube like toothpaste, just a couple of squeezes. I add cayenne powder to stew and to a lot of other foods to give it a little edge. I add a spoon of sugar to most foods that contain tomato sauce, including chili and stew, because otherwise I get a sour vibe I don't like.
I will have to try cooking a stew in the oven. I read somewhere that fine restaurants frequently finish their steaks in the oven--is that true?
1
Finishing a steak in the oven is rather common (frankly not even sure about restaurants, but certainly for home cooking), since you want high heat to develop a crust on the outside (in a cast iron skillet is bet), but if the steak is too thick, the middle will still be too rare, so you finish in the over to temperature. (And actually, some claim starting in the oven--or a sous vide!-and finishing on the stove is the preferred method.)
But that really has nothing to do with cooking stews.
3
Try Jamie Oliver's recipe for "Jool's beef stew". Amazing - cooked on low heat in oven with a bottle of wine and butternut squash.
6
I love Kenji Lopez-Alts version. I find that using the umami addition of worcester sauce, nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce) and tomato paste really ups the flavour. The addition of gelatine is also a great addition; in a French kitchen you would have properly made stocks which would include natural gelatine. I also find that his reduction of red wine to one quarter of the original amount improves the balance. Lastly, the use of the pressure cooker makes for much juicier beef. If the final result tastes better (and everybody who has tried it thinks so) then I see no point in sticking with tradition
5
Why don't more people know about the joys of induction cooking? It provides a perfect low temperature from simmer to just warm enough to not scorch on the bottom. It is wonderful for making stews and the like, as well as everything else! No extra heat as from gas in the kitchen, and no hangover heat as from conventional electric. It also produces instant high heats when you need it, and instant reduced heat when desired.
6
I absolutely agree. In Europe most new cooktops are induction. As fast to respond as gas with none of the risk. It is also much easier to clean and you can even use the cooktop as a prep area while you are cooking since only the pans heat up
6
Ever try to blister the skin of a poblano chile without a flame?
Ever try to cook a meal on an induction cooktop during a 48 hour winter power outage?
I'll stick with my trusty old Russell gas cooktop, thanks. But then I'm the kinda guy who still wears a mechanical watch, writes with a fountain pen and drives a car with a six-speed stick, so don't mind me.
17
Absolutely agree, best kitchen investment I ever made. Just don't get it why the gas tops are so popular, may be mostly they go unused.
1
You can make it however you like,it's not rocket science...but anyone knows that a stew not left over night in the fridge and then reheated, is worth diddly squat.
FACT.
22
“At least” overnight.
When I cook a soup or stew, I let it mellow for 3 days in the fridge before consuming,
If I make pasta sauce, I let it sit in the fridge for 3 days before putting in baggies in the freezer.
The flavor is so enhanced by doing this.
3
How pleasant it is to read an article that unites readers and that does not produce even a speck of political commentary.
10
I love my instant pot, but I have to agree with Julia--the oven is best. It always cooks slowly and evenly, no risk of scorching on the bottom, and the liquid evaporates just enough.
My everyday beef stew is with beer, though, rather than wine. It's inexpensive, it's sold at the supermarket, and with plenty of onions and a touch of brown sugar, it's delicious.
6
I can’t really cook, but I can smell that stew, right through my tablet I can really smell it.
18
Love your comment!
7
I’ve been modifying Thomas Keller’s braised short rib recipe ever since I saw it in the mid 90s in Food & Wine. The version in the French Laundry cookbook is the benchmark but time consuming. I think bone in short ribs work best for a stew; the bone gives it a depth of flavor chuck cannot match. Straining the marinade vegetables out of the stew, removing some fat then reducing the broth and whisking in some Dijon really refine the dish. Topping the short rib w a remoulade of parsley, bread crumbs, garlic, olive oil and lemon peel brightens the dish and gives it texture.
10
Julia Child. Julia Moskin both offer great stews or daubes. Julia Child has a boeuf daube with dried orange peel and olives. Her boeuf bourguignon is food of the gods. Slow is slow and that's how stews and daubes should be cooked. Those who want to rush the process will never know the true taste of the slow mingling many flavors into one succulent dish. Bon appetit.
8
I like to use bacon fat, saved from breakfast, to sauté my trinity, imparts a wonderful flavor.Never use tomatoes in any form and find that about one cup of wine is sufficient. Rub the meat with crushed garlic and bring meat to room temperature, about half an hour before browning. Finish off in the oven at 250 for four to five hours.
8
I think the stew is better off in a pot with the lid ajar. As Harold McGee wrote in the NYT a tightly sealed pot will come to a boil ( https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/02/dining/02curi.html ) The problem with boiling the stew is that it emulsifies that fat into the sauce, leaving it greasy. Leaving the lid ajar provides just enough evaporation to prevent boiling and also allows the liquid to slowly reduce; I find the total liquid in the stew stays about the same as the cooking meat releases juices.
10
I live in an RV, full-time, and have to put up with a small kitchen. I have an Instant Pot Ultra and much prefer it to my Le Creuset French oven for most tasks. The IP lets me set a temperature and it will hold it within a degree or two forever. I can sauté the meat using one mode, then pressure-cook the meat to melt the collagens, then add the potatoes/onions/carrots. After all that, I can still raise the heat to reduce the sauce to the desired consistency - all in one pot.
I like Kenji's suggestion to add umami-enhancers like anchovies, Asian fish sauce, soy sauce, tomato paste or Worcestershire sauce to the mix. These additions really amp-up the meatiness of the dish. Why eschew modern methods when they improve on the classical approaches? I dearly love Julia's boeuf bourguignon recipe, but it works well in an electric pressure cooker, too.
I would like to see more recipes in the NYT that employ the modern multi-cookers. I use Melissa's book regularly, as well as "The Food Lab" from J. Kenji Lopez-Alt and his contributions via SeriousEats.com. It's the way of the future.
12
What a lot of fuss about a very simple cooking technique. Can't do it on the stove top? What? Use whatever you want. Beer, red wine, white wine, vinegar. Add lots of garlic. Add in some chopped up bacon while browning the meat. Use parsnips. Potatoes to thicken at the end. Mushrooms if you like. Leeks are great! Cook long and slow, that's the trick. You can't mess this up!
23
I agree; way too many steps. No, I do not pat my beef dry. Nor do I drain browned beef on a rack over a sheet pan. Brown the beef, add the onions and garlic, red wine and beef stock (if using). Thyme and Rosemary, salt and pepper and let it simmer for two hours, either on the stovetop or the oven, add the carrots and potatoes for another 50-60 minutes. Adjust seasonings. I've been making this for 40 years and everyone has been happy. It also freezes well, so double the batch.
21
I don’t know what it is about it, but what a pleasing article! Beef stew was the first dish I mastered as a twenty-something bachelor, and ever since I’ve been especially excited about any dinner recipe that takes at least five hours to cook (my wife enjoys my mild obsession). And, wow: I am really, really excited about the idea of a stew flavored with juniper and orange peel! I wonder whether a cocktail with Bombay Safire would be a nice beginning, before the nice red wine suggestions?
11
I think the late William Safire would be pleased that you confused him with a gemstone.
5
I'm with you, Eric, as always. No slow cooker, no pressure cooker (I'm not going to give in). It just doesn't taste the same, especially with the beef stew. It's not just a matter of sauteeing. The slow oven cooking in something like a Le Crueset dutch oven, for hours, at 275, with the occasional stir with a wooden spoon, can't be beat. The taste is different! But so is the gorgeous aroma that fills the apartment or house. You sacrifice all that sensual pleasure for time, which in my mind is just not worth it.
11
Your stew might be even better if you cook the potatoes separately.
5
"I am quite comfortable leaving my house with the oven on low;"
Yikes. Assuming you live in a detached house with good distance between you and neighbors, maybe OK. But as this is the NYTimes, and "house" might be taken mean "apartment", please, for god's sakes no. You can put your own property at risk, but not the property and lives of others. Always be present with an oven or stove turned on.
Plus, "or, in cold weather, leave it in the turned-off oven overnight". Huh? Regardless of the temperature outside, most people keep their homes/apartments at a fairly constant temperature, so how does this even have any logic?
26
Crock pots and Instant Pots (but not ordinary pressure cookers!) are designed to operate for many hours while the cook is away at work or wherever. They run at very low temps and are considered safe.
I would absolutely NOT do this with a pot of food on the stove -- never walk away from a hot flame, EVER.
1
Don't forget, that stuff in the pot is germ free for at least overnight, so long as you haven't raised the lid.
1
Just to let you know how the Flemish people do it: we use a dark abbey beer, Trappist.
10
I bought an expensive 10 qt stock pot and thought of things to make I never had. I looked up beef stew recipes, here and elsewhere, for consensus on ingredients and prep, not being a big recipe reader/follower. Went to the store and got some cheap shank bones for the stock, markdown chuck shoulder roast, the standard vegs. Two hours for the stock, 2 hrs for the stew, and we been eating that for past 3 days. It was awesome. Then today, Moskin's "Mastering the Art...". My takeaway from the article - use the whole bottle wine.
4
Yo, Kenji adds those to every "meaty" dish. He doesn't use it as a hack to simulate slow cooked food prepared in the pressure cooker. The gelatin is to compensate for what is lacking in store-bought stock. You seem to imply that you cooked a pressure-cooked version alongside yours, but you don't really go into details. I doubt you did. In a better article, you would have cooked both ways, using the exact same recipe, with adjustments to the amount of starting liquid to compensate for the reduction that does not occur in a pressure cooker.
3
anyone who cannot master slow-simmering a stew on a gas stove top ought to get a new stove. I find it effortless.
6
My flame is very inconsistent also. Would love to get a new stove! Doubt the landlord would go for it, though.
4
People. Copper plates. On top of your burners...
2
Since the new pressure cookers, like the Instant Pot, are also pretty good slow cookers, I wonder how this recipe would turn out slow-cooked in an Instant Pot or even a Crock Pot.
4
Winter's pretty much over. Not a timely article, but I will read the article and probably end up making some beef stew. Thank you.
4
Ain't over til it's over. (Soon, I hope!)
2
snow storm today in Minnesota. This looks good for Saturday dinner
6
Stew is oh so comforting on those rainy days in the city.
4
There has been some incorrect assumptions in comments here about the residual alcohol in stews and other dishes. This might be of concern to recovering alcoholics or just folks who do not wish to imbibe.
From Wikipedia:
"A study by a team of researchers at the University of Idaho, Washington State University, and the US Department of Agriculture's Nutrient Data Laboratory calculated the percentage of alcohol remaining in a dish based on various cooking methods. The results are as follows:
alcohol added to boiling liquid and removed from heat: 85% alcohol retained
alcohol flamed: 75% alcohol retained
no heat, stored overnight: 70% alcohol retained
baked, 25 minutes, alcohol not stirred into mixture: 45% alcohol retained
If baked/simmered, alcohol stirred into mixture: (see table)
Time (hours) Alcohol retained
0.25 hours, =40% retained
0.57 hours, =35%
1.1 hours, =25%
1.6 hours, =20%
2.0 hours, =10%
2.6 hours, =5.0%
I have read people trying to dispute these numbers. When scientists weigh in, especially against the canard that a liquid disappears immediately at its specific boiling point, the science folks always manage to refute them.
I only add this because of the full bottle dosage suggested in the article. I find using a glass of good red wine (not from a bottle that has been sitting around for a week looking to be dispatched) does it for my beef dishes. A shot of Ouzo for my fish stews and some nice dry Spanish sherry for my soups.
10
So, based on your information:
A bottle contains 750 ml, wine and is approximately 13% alcohol. After 2.6 hours there is 5% residual alcohol. Therefore 750ml x .13 initial alcohol x .05 residual alcohol = 4.85 ml. Residual alcohol.
This is .17 fluid ounces of alcohol or ⅙ of a shot diluted throughout the stew.
Is that meaningful?
10
I add beets to my beef stew-Makes for a wonderful color and is delish!
Great way to get around alcohol as I am recovering.
"This is .17 fluid ounces of alcohol or ⅙ of a shot diluted throughout the stew."
Would one peanut from a barrel of peanuts kill someone with a peanut allergy? Most recovering alcoholics avoid alcohol completely.
2
I cook a boeuf Bourgignon in a traditional tagine dish, at very low heat (the clay tagine is placed on a metal diffuser). I turn off the gas for a couple of hours and turn it on again several times, so it cooks over many hours. A method you can use on a day off when you are hanging at home. A tagine requires very little oil ao the result is not greasy. good over mashed potatoes.
4
I have two tagines? and have only cooked chicken in them. Would you be able to share your beef stew recipe you use in your tagine? for some reason didn't even think of beef stew in it. Thank, Ladybee
1
As I was reading this I kept wondering if one omitted the potatoes and served this in bowls with a mashed potato topping like shepherd's pie.
And then there are mushrooms....
Stews are so great (but not the ones I get into with my wife)!
9
I don't know why Eric Asimov thinks real wine was not available in the U.S. until "well until the 20th century." According to reliable statistics (https://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/surveillance102/tab1_13.htm), per capita wine consumption in the 1950s and 1960s was not that much greater than it has been in the 1870s and 1880s.
6
There was Prohibition between 1920 and 1933.
1
Dear Julia, step away from gas burning stove tops and get an induction cook top, cooking at a bare simmer is easy and you can "stomp" away. Most Europeans use it and are not caught up in the BTU craze. Baking of course works as well, as I am eating delicious left over Ossobuco with polenta "baked" last night.
7
Not a fan of pancetta in beef stew. I would omit that ingredient b/c it corrupts, IMO the pure flavor of the beef.
6
A guaranteed method of tenderizing even the toughest cuts of meat is to place it in a roaster with about a cup of water to keep from drying out, and roast at 285 F (140 C) for 3 to 4 hours.
I guarantee even the toughest cuts of meat will be melt-in-your-mouth tender.
Construct your stew from there...
7
But Skeptical Cynic, I believe, with all due respect, you may have missed the entire point and purpose of using wine. By including wine in the recipe from the get go, wine not only helps tenderize the meat to the point of melting in one's mouth, but wine also adds a delectable flavor to the overall beef stew dish. There are a plethora of methods in which one can achieve "the toughest cuts of meat to melt-in-your-mouth tender", but it's the combination of the wine, spices, and other ingredients which makes beef stew a melt-in-your-mouth and exceptional comfort food dinner special. I apologize if I have offended you or your comment.
7
No offense taken at all Marge... it's just that in my kitchen, wine is generally used to marinate the cook...
14
Dear Skeptical Cynic,
We need to get you more wine. The cook shouldn’t go without. Your stew wants some, too.
Enjoy!
4
Add some decent balsamic vinegar for a bit of brightness.
5
I know, I know, stews are (traditionally) for tough cuts of meat. I, however, like to cut my own stew beef from a sirloin steak or roast. Talk about decadent.
2
One little comment on this great article: I've found that red wine and tomatoes (in whatever form) don't make a great beef stew if used together. A great stew can have lots of tomato, or it can have a fair amount of red wine -- but not both.
11
@ joel bergsman st leonard md
I agree with you, even if I came to the same conclusion by a different path: I dislike cooked tomatoes and tomato sauce. The only ones I love are raw cherry tomatoes that one can crush between the tongue and the palate, and swallow without chewing.
3
Especially still warm from the summer sunshine.
1
Not true. IMHO ofcourse.
This looks lovely and I'm sure it tastes great, but I'll stick to my old crock pot or if I'm feeling more daring cast iron dutch oven for my stews. I do like the idea of marinating the meat first, and I might try that, but otherwise this recipe seems overly fussy and complicated to me. Simply saute your "trinity" of onion, carrots and celery (and maybe some garlic), set aside, brown meat that has been dusted with flour and salt and pepper; add trinity back, cover with a decent beef stock, seasoning (your choice/your taste) a bay leaf and some tomato paste. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 60-90 minutes. You can add potatoes too and if so do that when you combine trinity and meat.
14
Great tip and sounds delicious and simple, especially for weeknight fare.
1
There are several problems with this recipes. First, vegetable oil is so yesterday. There are delightful oils such as Thrive. Or the flavor of light olive oil. Vegetable oil is just a great unknown. What vegetable? How was it processed?
Also there are much easier recipes with superior results.
1
Ok, how about this: canola or grapeseed. Choose organic.
2
God no, not canola! How has this travesty managed to weasel its way into our kitchens? It tastes terrible, and it is not, contrary to myth, healthy in any way. I'll cook with lard, with butter, with olive oil, with duck fat, but if canola ever enters my house, I'm calling the police.
2
Ok, call it rapeseed oil instead. If you use butter be sure it’s clarified or it will end up burnt. I’m with you 100% on the lard and duck or goose fat - or bacon fat - but not sure you want duck for a beef stew.
1
I make a seriously good boeuf bourguignon, I've been told. I use a dutch oven either on the stove top or in a low oven. What's not been mentioned is the beef. I find pre-cut stewing beef kind of awful. It's full of fat and gristle. I buy large pieces of brisket and trim and cut it up myself. The quality of the meat you use is super important.
26
I share your opinion of pre-cut stew meat. My solution is to buy a whole chuck roast (about 3 1/2 lbs.) and tear it apart along the natural muscle separations, then cut those pieces into chunks about 2 inches square by 1 inch thick. If you're not into pulling the meat apart, just cut it into the chunks
14
Your's is the perfect answer.
1
A good amount of fat is essential for flavor and mouth feel. Fear of fat has been largely debunked.
8
I like Moskin's seasonings but philosophically I'm with Lopez-Alt on short cuts -- if anything Lopez-Alt's Bourguignon recipe is too complex.
If there is a good beef stew to be had with 30-40 minutes of prep time, that's the one I'm going to do. And really there is.
It's a simple dish. You brown the beef in olive oil, deglaze with your aromatics and carrots, add seasonings (any shortcuts to umami are good -- Worcestershire, anchovies, MSG, brandy, dry sherry, a little balsamic, mushroom powder -- anything goes!).
Then a dry wine that you didn't finish because you didn't like it all that much. (or maybe wine from a couple unfinished bottles that have been in your fridge).
You can't cook it in a crock pot or pressure cooker because the wine won't reduce and you end up with beef-wine soup, which is gross.
It goes in the oven at 250, or, if you have a reliable simmer burner, on the stovetop. Let it simmer gently 4-5 hours with the lid partially off as needed to reduce the liquid. You do NOT need 8 hours for beef. 4 is plenty to soften and infuse the meat with flavor without drying it out -- and don't let it dry out during cooking! maintain some liquid.
I don't believe in adding potatoes because that is not really French. Carrots are the root. You can serve fingerling potatoes and/or green beans.
To me a whole bottle of wine is usually too much because your reduction can get too intense. Half a bottle is usually enough because you are adding other umami seasonings.
15
Olive oil was never intended for browning - has too low a smoke point and will give off flavors. If you do insist then use a refined version meant for higher heat (and keep in mind you are likely not using actual olive oil because of rampant fraud).
8
I am a fan of using the oven for beef stews. I use a large rectangular roasting dish. First I brown some onions and meat then throw everything in and seal dish with foil. The large dish spreads out all the ingredients over a wider area so everything cooks evenly. I cook for at least 3 hours with an occasional stir on very low heat 130-150c then uncover for the last 15 minutes of cooking at 180c.
2
I always use the oven as well, and at even lower temperature. I take a whole chuck roast (or brisket or lamb shanks), rub it with salt, pepper, and garlic powder (haven't been using flour), and brown it (usually in peanut oil) on the top of the stove in the same dutch oven. I then add the wine (not a whole bottle) and maybe some stock as well as whatever vegetables I want and put it in the oven covered at a temperature as low as 175F/80C for up to 12 hours or overnight. I then chill it in the fridge for a day and when a hard layer of fat congeals on the top I lift it off and toss it. I can then reheat at my leisure at, say, 275F/135C.
3
Excuse my ignorance, but I cook for a person in recovery (and doing great for years). Is cooking with wine a problem for individuals who are on this road? I'd love to make this dish (and others; I sometimes substitute broth for wine). Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!
The heat usually cooks off any alcohol, but the taste that remains might be another issue in terms of that persons comfort with their own recovery. I'd ask them what they think about the "taste" question.
3
Bookpuppy is correct, and if that person eats in any restaurant above the level of a diner or a chain they likely have eaten food cooked with wine somewhere in the preparation (or other spirit). The residual amount of alcohol is negligible.
3
the residual taste could be a trigger, for me anyway. chicken marsala? sure the alcohol might be mostly gone, but the flavor is still there. grand marnier souffle? nope. i'll have a little dish of vanilla.
6
I recently have taken to adding an orange peel to most of my meat braises. It doesn't so much flavor the broth "orange" as adding a fresh sweetness, brightness that flatters the rich succulence of a meat stew.
26
Try to find organic oranges that have not been sprayed with pesticides. If you can find oranges that have not been waxed, even better.
1
One could make the case that the best part of beef stew are the potatoes. They definitely aren’t there to thicken the sauce. They should be added for the last 45 minutes of cooking and they take on all the flavors of the stew.
29
You are so right Eric. I never eat the meat or even the carrots - just the soft spuds which have been entrenched in the beef stew juices during the final 45 minutes of cooking. I've always been like that - strictly a spud gal from a Wisconsin farm. Nothing beats this flavor, taste or texture.
10
I, too, like the orange peel, as per Julia Child.
Gee: I don't put in the potatoes at all. Personally, I like the stew over broad noodles. I also eliminate carrots (hate them cooked).
2
I start a stew in the morning before heading to work. Sometimes I'll take the time to sear the beef and sweat the aromatics, sometimes not. The wine (or sometimes beer) that goes in the pot has to be something I'd drink straight up -- no plonk or swill. But ultimately I set the oven at 250 degrees before heading out the door to work. 8 to 10 hours later, I've got a great stew just ready for a hit of seasoning and acid before serving with some crusty bread. Can't be beat.
8
My go-to on a winter working weeknight--especially on a Monday with leftovers on Tuesday and Wednesday or to put in the freezer--is beef stew in my crock pot. I prep the night before: yellow onions, carrots, potatoes, celery, and I put cubed stewing beef in a gallon plastic bag with salt, pepper and about 3-4 teaspoons of flour, then shake to coat. All go in the fridge overnight til I get up at 6 a.m. I sauté the onions til brown in olive oil and touch of butter with some minced garlic, set aside, then sear the beef, all in a cast iron skillet. I deglaze the skillet with red wine and a little more butter. All goes into the crock pot with beef and/or veg stock plus a cup or a little more red wine. A touch of tomato paste or puree. A dash of Worcestershire sauce, thyme, oregano, parsley and a couple of bay leaves. I might also add some frozen green beans/haricots verts. Set on low for about 7 hours. (If I need to thicken, I use arrowroot flour mixed in water.) When I walk into my home at the end of the day, the aroma is amazing, and dinner is served.
29
The only detail you left out Emlo37 is what time is dinner? Seriously, your recipe is extremely close to my mother's. She prepared and assembled it in very much the same fashion as you before she left for work. And you are so right - the moment you walk into the house and smell that beef stew cooking - it is pure nirvana. Thanks very much for sharing your recipe.
14
I can't imagine making or eating beef stew or pot roast without using red wine as the preferred liquid. Glad to read that the oven temperature in this article was lowered to 275-300 degrees because for me and my oven, that IS the ideal temp. And the herb suggestions are excellent as well for they are extremely fragrant and tasty. Nice and slow is the only way to go with this dish.
Beef stew (and pot roast) is perfect during the frigid days of winter and the cold, damp days of late fall and/or early spring. Just the smell of this delicious meal slowly cooking in the oven in the afternoon is on a par with freshly baked bread and apple pie slab.
Thanks for a wonderful article filled with much promise and anticipation as the Midwest hunkers down for another cold, wet week. It's Spring - but only on the calendar thus far.
52
After decades of cooking stew for hours at low heat, I'll never cook it again except in an Instant Pot. Just sayin...
One comment about cooking in a dutch oven: cover the pot with parchment paper before putting the lid on.
16
The parchment paper suggestion is interesting.
Those wanting to try a dutch oven are strongly recommended to get an antique cast iron one--particularly one with a "self-basting" lid. These have lids that seal well and by containing condensation, maintain liquid levels.
8
You are spot on Mr. Somerville. I use parchment paper and then put aluminum foil over that to keep the parchment paper in place and sealed under the lid of the dutch oven cover. This method really does a nice job of keeping the steam and moisture inside the dutch oven itself.
7
David you are so correct about the Instantpot. My philosophy when cooking is simplify, simplify, simplify. Just saute lightly dusted beef chunks in the instantpot add a decent broth, lots of wine, the usual herbs, potatos, onions and carrots and voila! In a little over an hour, including prep time, you have an amazing beef stew.
4
The easiest way to master beef stew is to use pork instead. Well marbled pork beats beef here just about every time.
5
Sure. And then, to make a really great stew use short rib beef.
13
Or oxtail.
2
That is called pork stew. A different dish entirely.
1
I'm mystified by resistance to the slow cooker. Is it that they were introduced on late night television and associated with cheap gadgets?
Let's analyze the thing. A cooking system is made up of a surface, a body, and a heat source. The slow cooker has the same surface as any ceramic coating. It is not reactive and should not affect the food in any way. The body of the pot is also ceramic. It conducts heat very slowly. like cast iron, and heats evenly. There is no better combination for stews.
The heat source is also neutral. It is even and controlable. Again, just what a stew likes.
It cooks for a set time, and then either continues to warm, or shuts itself off. They rarely burn food. I use them for sauces, soups, stews beans, and many other things. You can buy one used for the cost of two Big Macs. You can plug it in in a hotel room, or the back of a car, or a gleaming, modern kitchen. They are great. I recently prepared a classic Bourguignon for twelve people, (begun on the range, for browning, and finished on slow...) One guest peeped into the kitchen and noted the Slow Cooker, seemingly perplexed. I explained all of the above, and she agreed that the prejudice is odd. It's a heat source, a container, and a surface. It's that simple.
50
All food from a crock-pot tastes like it came out of a crock-pot. The flavors become dulled.
5
It's a good point, a $20 crock pot is really a worthy tool. The only problem with slow cooker is it keeps the steam in, so the wine broth doesn't become sauce. You end up with beef-wine soup. You also don't get the drying and browning at the surface so it's a lousy way to make cassoulet -- no crust. If your slow cooker can maintain a simmer with the lid off for the last hour, then you're right, you can make bourguignon. And some slow cookers have removable earthenware crocks that can be put under a broiler, so you can get a browned top.
1
Slow cookers manufactured in the past 25 years or so are far, far hotter than the originals of the '70s and '80s. Alas, they are gauged to BOIL their contents -- which turns ANY beef cut into shoe leather. Even cuts that used to be thrifty (short ribs, flank steak, etc) are these days expensive treats for most families or seniors. Take it from our sad, repeated experience: AVOID using a slow cooker for beef stew or any meat dish!
2
If the main point of beef stew is to use pieces of beef that are initially hard, such as chuck or round, it is surprising that no tool was invented that would, at a pressure of twice or more times the atmospheric, inject the wine into the inter-cellular space of the muscles and then let it cook at low heat. A question that also bothers me, how long can one cook wine at 250F or 275F, before it breaks down?
Instead of, or in addition to, carrots, one may try celery root, cooked like the potatoes.
But I am shocked by the suggestions of beer or cider as a substitute for a full-bodied red wine.
1
Wine doesn't so much "break down" as transform. Alcohol is cooked away in short order and the remainder merely condenses (reduces, as in a "reduction"). If you were to cook wine by itself you'd end up with a kind of syrup.
Beef in Beer is a classic. Think Flemish carbonnade. Beef with cider (probably hard cider) is likely also in the mode of north western Europe. Makes sense as wine was not a dominate produce of those regions.
29
Why would I drain the meat and then add broth, and why chicken broth? Put the browned beef on a plate and collect the juices. Put it all back into the stew and use beef broth. Thicken it with flour.
7
I tend to mix my stock/broth bases when I'm making stew (I use vegetable or chicken stock when making a beef stew) because I believe it yields a more complete flavor, but I would recommend putting the juices right back into the pot.
1
store-bought beef stock/broth is generally terrible. If you make your own, then yeah, use beef broth. Otherwise, you're most likely just getting water flavored with yeast extract.
6
Thank you!! Chicken stock is lazy recipe writing when it's used as a catch-all. I'd propose making a beurre manie (half flour, half [soft] butter mixed together well) as your thickener. A dollop of dijon mustard is always nice too.
1
I am a longtime user of oven, and large stove-top pressure cookers (for making stock, mostly), not much of a fan of slow cookers, so I waited a long while before exploring the land of Instant Pot. An electric pressure cooker does have the immense advantage (over stove-top versions) of not requiring modulation of the flame once the desired pressure is released (the pressure cooker cognate to the problem of the elusive long-simmer on the stove; despite Julia Moskin's embrace of the oven, it's still something of a problem in the oven at her recommended temperatures). I was stunned by the fond I developed in my Instant-Pot saute cycle - no scorching, beautifully even and properly colored in a way that's hard to duplicate on many home stove-tops and pans. I agree that wine alcohol is a challenge, but want to note that American stews did also traditionally resort to the Northern European solution: ciders (the most prevalent American beverage before the advent of large breweries in the US), beers/ales and their kin - and those work well in an Instant Pot.
2
Interesting but unclear: what is "still something of a problem in the oven at her recommended temperatures?" Are you saying 250 degrees is too low? The time is to short? Both?
4