Some Questions (and Some Answers) About Beef Stew

A Lot of Goodness, Basic Beef Stew

I have no idea why. Here it is the middle of summer and I am thinking about hearty beef stew. Maybe my mind, or my appetite, needs a vacation from summer. Maybe you would like to join me?

   I have to confess that, in years gone by, as a bachelor living alone in a remote mountain cabin, I got very interested in stews at any time of year, a one-pot meal that might feed me for three days.

   You name it, Burgoo to Mulligatawny, I studied stews. But my standby was that traditional favorite, simple beef stew. Yes, simple, but still some questions arose. Questions about herbs, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, meats.

   I kept some notes, you may find them helpful.

What Are the Proper Herbs for Beef Stew?

   First of all, what's an herb and what's a spice? Herbs, I am informed, are the leafy part of the plant, while spices are roots, flowers, bark etc.

  

An author now forgotten by me made an interesting point: Herbs have come peacefully down from antiquity, gathered out in the countryside by knowledgeable folk, or gracing their gardens and windowsills. The history of spices is much more violent; wars have been waged over spices.

   Of course the choice of herb depends on the type of stew. Here, as I mentioned, I am thinking of conventional beef stew. A survey of herbs in just a few recipes for traditional beef stew turns up basil, bay leaf, marjoram, oregano, parsley, sage, and thyme. Some recipes call for a single herb, some for combinations.

   One way to choose would be according to the chef you most admire. For instance, Chef Paul Prudhomme created an herb and spice mixture called Meat Magic, said to contain various spices plus the herbs oregano, thyme, and sage.

   Prudhomme hit on the one herb chosen by the authors of Cooking With Culinary Herbs as "the mainstay of the kitchen," and that would be -- thyme. They say it is essential all around, for poultry, roasts, vegetables, stews and soups.

   As for the pre-mixed herb combinations like Prudhomme’s Magic, there are many. But according to legendary food writer Elizabeth David, they amount to “…something bought in a packet called dried mixed herbs … for which you might as well substitute sawdust.” She further counsels that people who seriously intend good cooking should grow as many kitchen herbs as they can, so as to always have them fresh.

   Grow your own? Cora Pinkley-Call, writing in a great little booklet called Ozark Cupboard, says: “You can grow your own herbs as easily as you can grow flowers or weeds.”

   You can find recipes that call for half a dozen herbs. But the best bet may be to keep it simple. The legendary Julia Child’s beef stew recipe calls simply for thyme and a bay leaf … others mention oregano, rosemary, sage.

   There you have a look at herbs. As for spices? I have seen mention of cinnamon, cloves, paprika, pepper, nutmeg, coriander, mace, caraway seeds. Of these, paprika seems the mainstay, listed in a great many of the recipes I have reviewed.

   All in all, in the beginning I would go with thyme as the herb and paprika as the spice. And over time your taste buds will likely dictate, try a little of this or that.

How Do I Prepare a Stew Tomato?

   A great many stews want tomato and usually that would be skinned, otherwise the tomato skins itself as the stew cooks and you have a floating rind.

   Having looked at many sites with recommendations for skinning a tomato, it appears the chore is simple. Cut away the stem, cut an X at the other end, dip the fruit in boiling water for a minute, use a utensil to fish it out, plunge into ice water, peel.

  In the course of surveying techniques I saw a note that scientists are working on ways to improve the cardboard taste of store-bought tomatoes. Bravo. Hopefully you can grow your own, but that's seasonal and of course dependent on your location. As things stand, it seems that eighty percent of US tomatoes are come from Mexico.

   The fact is, many recipes don’t ask that you skin a fresh tomato; they say use paste, or tomatoes from a can.

Which Onion is Best for Stew?

   This is good to know: A chilled onion will inspire fewer tears when sliced.

   Onions of course are a regular ingredient in many stew recipes. In general the typical supermarket yellow onion will do for soups and stews. They are not the best raw but they do mellow as cooked.

   Chef John Thorne says this is true of all onions, and a science site says "when onions are cooked their flavor turns into a mellow, sweet, even savory, meaty sensation."

   According to the “Vidalia Onion Store Recipe Book,” the longer a Vidalia is sautéed, the stronger the flavor -- which I take to mean the sweetness. Sweeter onions go by names such as Vidalia, Walla Walla, Texas Sweet and Maui.  

  Some years back Bermudas of various shades would be included but it seems Texas came up with a very similar onion and Bermudas fell out of favor.

   Here is a simple recipe featuring Vidalias (as well as an orange!). It is called  "HeartyBeef and Vidalia Onion Stew.“

What is the Best Stew Potato?

   I've seen Yukon Gold heartily recommended but the choice of top chefs seems to be red.

   Reds are least likely to turn to mush. Personally I would say go with the gold if you prefer.

   "There are more than 600 varieties of potatoes sold throughout the United States. Each of these varieties fit into one of seven potato type categories: russet, red, white, yellow, blue/purple, fingerling and petite." Learn more about the characteristics and cooking recommendations at the Potato Goodness site.

       The Best Cut of Meat for Beef Stew?

   According to writers at Bon Appetit, basic beef stew “can be too thin or too thick; the meat can be dry and stringy or gray and flavorless; veggies can be too mushy or not cooked enough. It's a tough balance to strike, but you should know how to cook this classic cold-weather dish like a pro."

   The meat most often recommended on the various sites I visited is boneless beef chuck with most fat cut away, trimmed into bite sized chunks.

   From the Bon Appetit web site article on mistakes when making beef stew: “Using the wrong cut of beef is probably the worst mistake you could ever make when it comes to beef stew. We've even tried using cuts of meat that are good for braising—like sirloin—and they just didn't break down in the same way in a stew. You're left with chunks of tight, dry meat rather than meltingly tender beef.”

  And so, what is the recommendation? “The only cut you should use? Chuck. Period.” The article, found here, is guidance more than a specific recipe.

   We should probably conclude with a basic beef stew recipe. But why settle for just one when we can offer a choice of 25, from The Spruce web site.