Stew Beef Recipes Biography
Source:- Google.com.pk
You can’t cook by time. Bake, yes, but not cook. How long something takes to reach the desired outcome involves many factors. The size and composition of the vessels you are using, the strength of your heat, and the BTU’s of your stovetop, the temperature, age, and quality of the food you are using. It’s physics and chemistry.
But how do you know when you’re right? And how do you repeat it? Practise and finding out why. Practise keenly observing how things change appearance as they are cooking. The glistening beads of red on the top of a steak means it’s heading towards medium-rare. When the sides of a raw scallop stand at attention, the scallop is medium-rare. Your quinoa is mushy and you use two parts water to one part quinoa. Have you ever thought about using less water? Have you ever thought about using more water, a lot more water, and cooking the quinoa until its almost done and draining off the water to achieve a tender and fluffy kernel? It will continue cooking as it sits in the sieve. That’s physics. Heat and mass.
Recipes are usually written in a kind of short hand. The recipe author assumes a certain level of skill on the part of the reader. Skills like knowing you should peel vegetables before chopping, washing and drying lettuce before using it in a salad, that beating only until combined means just that, or a cheesecake that was cooked in a 10-inch pan instead of a 9-inch one would probably be overbaked.
But should you blindly follow recipes? Perhaps for baking or if the author is an incredibly skilled and reputable recipe writer. Most of the chefs I know are lousy recipe writers. I know because I’ve edited their recipes. Because cooking is second nature to a chef they take it for granted and many details are left out. They write in the shortest of shorthand.
I’ve chosen two recipes, recipes in which I’ve filled in all the blanks. All the how’s and why’s of doing things in a certain way for a certain outcome. Many of the techniques used in the Beef Stew are used in many other cooking applications, from searing meat, to sautéing vegetables, to blanching and chilling to stop the cooking of a vegetable. The New York Style Cheesecake gives you basic baking skills and how to make a really good cheesecake.
You don’t have to do this, of course. Many people are content with putting a bunch of ingredients into a crockpot and turning it on. Nothing wrong with that! Cooking takes time, and concentration, and then there’s the cleaning up. Some are not content with that and want to know more or at least have the option.
Once you know how and why something works, you can improvise. The more you do it, the better you get at it. Then you will really be cooking in the best of ways.
About measurements: 1 cup is not 250 mL, it’s closer to 240 mL or to be really picky, 236.5882365 mL. I’m not even sure if anyone uses metric mLs for cooking since almost all recipes are still written using the Imperial system. Publishers decide whether they want to use the 250 mL or the 240 mL system and have their authors and writers follow suit. If it made sense for the general readership, I would prefer to use only weights for recipe measurement. The recipe would be the same every time you made it if that is what you were going for. Pastry chefs use weight measurements and I only use weight when I make sausages. It’s twice as fast as fiddling around with cups and spoons and there is less to clean up.
About knives and chopping: Please, please, please get a half-decent knife and learn how to keep it sharp. Don’t chop everything with a paring knife. There are many videos and websites that can teach you how to sharpen, chop and cut. All you have to do is practise every time you pick up the knife. And don’t give me any stuff about how it’s easy to cut yourself with a sharp knife. If you’re going to cut yourself, you’re going to cut yourself. And it’s much less painful with a sharp knife because you’re not putting as much pressure on a sharp knife.
Beef Stew with Red Wine and Root Vegetables
Read the recipe all the way through and visualize doing each step before starting.
4 lbs (2 kg) boneless beef short ribs, trimmed of fat as you see fit, cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch (5cm) cubes: The beef pieces start out big because they shrink about 40 per cent during cooking. Boneless beef short ribs make the most delicious stew because of the connective tissue and marbling. Stewing beef can be from anywhere on the animal and although it’s economical, it’s not a good choice.
Fine, natural sea salt
6 tbsp (90 mL) vegetable oil for searing the beef: If not specified, a vegetable oil can be canola, avocado, grape seed — anything with a neutral flavour.
4 tbsp (60 mL) unsalted butter
2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil, for frying the vegetables
2 cups (500 mL) 1/4-inch (0.6 cm) peeled, diced onion: The way ingredients are cut can sometimes make or break a dish. Imagine soup with 1-inch (2.5cm) pieces of vegetables in it. Imagine eating the soup one piece of vegetable at a time. Now imagine the same soup with the vegetables cut in smaller pieces so you get a variety with each spoonful. It would be a very different experience. With this stew, the appearance doesn’t matter with these vegetables because they are not used in the finished dish, but the volume matters. It takes less large pieces weight-wise to fill a cup. There’s more surface to brown on vegetables that are diced smaller, which translates to better colour and flavour.
1 cup (250 mL) 1/4-inch (0.6cm) diced celery, no leaves
1 cup (250 mL) 1/4-inch (0.6cm) peeled, diced carrots
4 cloves garlic, minced: Do not use a garlic press. A garlic press creates a mush that fries up badly because the pieces of garlic are so small. Split each clove in half and lay it flat-side down on a cutting board. Position a broad bladed knife with the broadest part on top of the garlic, and with the blade pointed away from you. It’s best to have your cutting board at the edge of the counter so the knife handle projects over the edge of the counter and doesn’t interfere with smashing the garlic by hitting the counter. Hit the knife decisively with your fist to smash the garlic. When all is smashed, chop it finely.
4 tbsp (60 mL) all-purpose flour: If you don’t want to use flour, cornstarch or arrowroot starch can be used to thicken the stew after it has finished cooking. Be sure to mix it with water and add a little at a time, letting the liquid come to full boil before adding more. Add until the desired thickness is reached.
3 cups (750 mL) dry red wine, at room temperature: Use a good, soft and full-bodied non-tannic wine. As the stew cooks, the flavour of the wine concentrates as the liquid reduces. If you don’t want to use wine, use a rich homemade beef stock.
3 cups (750 mL) beef or chicken stock, or water: It’s fine here to use a good-quality prepared stock. Where it’s important is when the stock needs to thicken as it reduces. The stew uses flour for thickening, so a bone-rich stock which will provide the thickening power is not essential.
6 sprigs fresh thyme: A stem with the leaves, about 3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm) long. With long cooking, the leaves of thyme and rosemary will fall off and you can pluck out the stems. There is no need to chop it.
2 fresh bay leaves
4 whole cloves: Cloves add a delicious, savoury edge to beef stews and braises.
4 medium carrots, about 1 pound (500 g), peeled, topped and tailed, cut in half lengthwise and cut into 2-inch (5cm) pieces
3 medium parsnips, about 1 pound (500 g) peeled, topped and tailed, cut in half lengthwise and cut into 2-inch (5cm) pieces
2 medium-sized turnips peeled, topped and tailed, about 1 pound (500 g) peeled and cut into 8 wedges each
2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped parsley flaked sea salt, such as Maldon
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the 6 tbsp (90 mL) vegetable oil in the frying pan over high heat.
Lightly season beef with salt. Fry beef in batches, leaving a fingers-width of space between each piece as you’re cooking it. Brown each piece on all sides and transfer each piece to a plate as it’s done. Adjust the heat as needed so the beef browns quickly without burning. Discard the oil, clean the pan, and start the next batch with a fresh 2 tbsp (30 mL) of oil.
Melt the butter and 2 tbsp (30 mL) oil together over medium heat in the 6-quart (6 L) pot. Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently until the vegetables become lightly browned on all surfaces.
Whisk in the flour and stir to incorporate it. Turn the heat to low and with a spatula, continue stirring for 1-2 minutes, adjusting the heat so the flour does not burn. Slowly whisk in about 1 cup (250 mL) of red wine. Turn the heat to high and continue stirring until the liquid starts comes to a boil. Add another cup of red wine, continue stirring until it boils. Slowly whisk in the remaining wine and the stock in a thin, steady stream. Bring the pot to a boil and add the beef along with the juices on the plate. Boil for a few minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Season very lightly with salt and add the thyme, bay leaves and cloves.
I add the flour at this stage so the raw taste will cook away and leave the liquid with a silky texture that is hard to achieve if you add flour for thickening at the end of the cooking process. Adding the liquid a small amount at a time lets the flour thicken the liquid evenly and without creating lumps.
Turn the oven to 275 F (135 C). Cover the pot with the lid and place in the oven. Cook until the beef is tender, 2-3 hours, checking each half-hour and adding water as necessary to keep the beef just covered with liquid.
When the beef is tender, remove from the oven and cool slightly. With tongs, remove the beef pieces, leaving the herbs and vegetables behind. Strain the liquid through a sieve into a large bowl. Press lightly on the solids to extract all the liquid. Let the liquid settle for half an hour and skim off any fat that rises to the top. The consistency of the liquid should be as thick as whipping cream with a creamy and satisfying mouth feel. If too thick, thin with water. If too thin, return to the pot and simmer over medium heat until it thickens. Turn the heat to low and cover with the lid.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt liberally and add the carrots, parsnips and turnips. Cook for 5 minutes after the water returns to a boil. Check for tenderness. If they are the right texture for you, drain immediately and return to the pot. If not, cook for a minute or two longer. Drain well through a sieve and return the vegetables to the pot off the heat. Add the 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter, and the parsley. Toss the vegetables to coat them with the mixture. Taste and season with salt. Surround the stew with the vegetables, sprinkle with the flaked salt and grind some pepper over it. Serve immediately.
Makes 6-8 servings
But how do you know when you’re right? And how do you repeat it? Practise and finding out why. Practise keenly observing how things change appearance as they are cooking. The glistening beads of red on the top of a steak means it’s heading towards medium-rare. When the sides of a raw scallop stand at attention, the scallop is medium-rare. Your quinoa is mushy and you use two parts water to one part quinoa. Have you ever thought about using less water? Have you ever thought about using more water, a lot more water, and cooking the quinoa until its almost done and draining off the water to achieve a tender and fluffy kernel? It will continue cooking as it sits in the sieve. That’s physics. Heat and mass.
Recipes are usually written in a kind of short hand. The recipe author assumes a certain level of skill on the part of the reader. Skills like knowing you should peel vegetables before chopping, washing and drying lettuce before using it in a salad, that beating only until combined means just that, or a cheesecake that was cooked in a 10-inch pan instead of a 9-inch one would probably be overbaked.
But should you blindly follow recipes? Perhaps for baking or if the author is an incredibly skilled and reputable recipe writer. Most of the chefs I know are lousy recipe writers. I know because I’ve edited their recipes. Because cooking is second nature to a chef they take it for granted and many details are left out. They write in the shortest of shorthand.
I’ve chosen two recipes, recipes in which I’ve filled in all the blanks. All the how’s and why’s of doing things in a certain way for a certain outcome. Many of the techniques used in the Beef Stew are used in many other cooking applications, from searing meat, to sautéing vegetables, to blanching and chilling to stop the cooking of a vegetable. The New York Style Cheesecake gives you basic baking skills and how to make a really good cheesecake.
You don’t have to do this, of course. Many people are content with putting a bunch of ingredients into a crockpot and turning it on. Nothing wrong with that! Cooking takes time, and concentration, and then there’s the cleaning up. Some are not content with that and want to know more or at least have the option.
Once you know how and why something works, you can improvise. The more you do it, the better you get at it. Then you will really be cooking in the best of ways.
About measurements: 1 cup is not 250 mL, it’s closer to 240 mL or to be really picky, 236.5882365 mL. I’m not even sure if anyone uses metric mLs for cooking since almost all recipes are still written using the Imperial system. Publishers decide whether they want to use the 250 mL or the 240 mL system and have their authors and writers follow suit. If it made sense for the general readership, I would prefer to use only weights for recipe measurement. The recipe would be the same every time you made it if that is what you were going for. Pastry chefs use weight measurements and I only use weight when I make sausages. It’s twice as fast as fiddling around with cups and spoons and there is less to clean up.
About knives and chopping: Please, please, please get a half-decent knife and learn how to keep it sharp. Don’t chop everything with a paring knife. There are many videos and websites that can teach you how to sharpen, chop and cut. All you have to do is practise every time you pick up the knife. And don’t give me any stuff about how it’s easy to cut yourself with a sharp knife. If you’re going to cut yourself, you’re going to cut yourself. And it’s much less painful with a sharp knife because you’re not putting as much pressure on a sharp knife.
Beef Stew with Red Wine and Root Vegetables
Read the recipe all the way through and visualize doing each step before starting.
4 lbs (2 kg) boneless beef short ribs, trimmed of fat as you see fit, cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch (5cm) cubes: The beef pieces start out big because they shrink about 40 per cent during cooking. Boneless beef short ribs make the most delicious stew because of the connective tissue and marbling. Stewing beef can be from anywhere on the animal and although it’s economical, it’s not a good choice.
Fine, natural sea salt
6 tbsp (90 mL) vegetable oil for searing the beef: If not specified, a vegetable oil can be canola, avocado, grape seed — anything with a neutral flavour.
4 tbsp (60 mL) unsalted butter
2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil, for frying the vegetables
2 cups (500 mL) 1/4-inch (0.6 cm) peeled, diced onion: The way ingredients are cut can sometimes make or break a dish. Imagine soup with 1-inch (2.5cm) pieces of vegetables in it. Imagine eating the soup one piece of vegetable at a time. Now imagine the same soup with the vegetables cut in smaller pieces so you get a variety with each spoonful. It would be a very different experience. With this stew, the appearance doesn’t matter with these vegetables because they are not used in the finished dish, but the volume matters. It takes less large pieces weight-wise to fill a cup. There’s more surface to brown on vegetables that are diced smaller, which translates to better colour and flavour.
1 cup (250 mL) 1/4-inch (0.6cm) diced celery, no leaves
1 cup (250 mL) 1/4-inch (0.6cm) peeled, diced carrots
4 cloves garlic, minced: Do not use a garlic press. A garlic press creates a mush that fries up badly because the pieces of garlic are so small. Split each clove in half and lay it flat-side down on a cutting board. Position a broad bladed knife with the broadest part on top of the garlic, and with the blade pointed away from you. It’s best to have your cutting board at the edge of the counter so the knife handle projects over the edge of the counter and doesn’t interfere with smashing the garlic by hitting the counter. Hit the knife decisively with your fist to smash the garlic. When all is smashed, chop it finely.
4 tbsp (60 mL) all-purpose flour: If you don’t want to use flour, cornstarch or arrowroot starch can be used to thicken the stew after it has finished cooking. Be sure to mix it with water and add a little at a time, letting the liquid come to full boil before adding more. Add until the desired thickness is reached.
3 cups (750 mL) dry red wine, at room temperature: Use a good, soft and full-bodied non-tannic wine. As the stew cooks, the flavour of the wine concentrates as the liquid reduces. If you don’t want to use wine, use a rich homemade beef stock.
3 cups (750 mL) beef or chicken stock, or water: It’s fine here to use a good-quality prepared stock. Where it’s important is when the stock needs to thicken as it reduces. The stew uses flour for thickening, so a bone-rich stock which will provide the thickening power is not essential.
6 sprigs fresh thyme: A stem with the leaves, about 3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm) long. With long cooking, the leaves of thyme and rosemary will fall off and you can pluck out the stems. There is no need to chop it.
2 fresh bay leaves
4 whole cloves: Cloves add a delicious, savoury edge to beef stews and braises.
4 medium carrots, about 1 pound (500 g), peeled, topped and tailed, cut in half lengthwise and cut into 2-inch (5cm) pieces
3 medium parsnips, about 1 pound (500 g) peeled, topped and tailed, cut in half lengthwise and cut into 2-inch (5cm) pieces
2 medium-sized turnips peeled, topped and tailed, about 1 pound (500 g) peeled and cut into 8 wedges each
2 tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tbsp (30 mL) finely chopped parsley flaked sea salt, such as Maldon
Freshly ground black pepper
Heat 2 tbsp (30 mL) of the 6 tbsp (90 mL) vegetable oil in the frying pan over high heat.
Lightly season beef with salt. Fry beef in batches, leaving a fingers-width of space between each piece as you’re cooking it. Brown each piece on all sides and transfer each piece to a plate as it’s done. Adjust the heat as needed so the beef browns quickly without burning. Discard the oil, clean the pan, and start the next batch with a fresh 2 tbsp (30 mL) of oil.
Melt the butter and 2 tbsp (30 mL) oil together over medium heat in the 6-quart (6 L) pot. Add the onions, celery, carrots and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently until the vegetables become lightly browned on all surfaces.
Whisk in the flour and stir to incorporate it. Turn the heat to low and with a spatula, continue stirring for 1-2 minutes, adjusting the heat so the flour does not burn. Slowly whisk in about 1 cup (250 mL) of red wine. Turn the heat to high and continue stirring until the liquid starts comes to a boil. Add another cup of red wine, continue stirring until it boils. Slowly whisk in the remaining wine and the stock in a thin, steady stream. Bring the pot to a boil and add the beef along with the juices on the plate. Boil for a few minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to the surface. Season very lightly with salt and add the thyme, bay leaves and cloves.
I add the flour at this stage so the raw taste will cook away and leave the liquid with a silky texture that is hard to achieve if you add flour for thickening at the end of the cooking process. Adding the liquid a small amount at a time lets the flour thicken the liquid evenly and without creating lumps.
Turn the oven to 275 F (135 C). Cover the pot with the lid and place in the oven. Cook until the beef is tender, 2-3 hours, checking each half-hour and adding water as necessary to keep the beef just covered with liquid.
When the beef is tender, remove from the oven and cool slightly. With tongs, remove the beef pieces, leaving the herbs and vegetables behind. Strain the liquid through a sieve into a large bowl. Press lightly on the solids to extract all the liquid. Let the liquid settle for half an hour and skim off any fat that rises to the top. The consistency of the liquid should be as thick as whipping cream with a creamy and satisfying mouth feel. If too thick, thin with water. If too thin, return to the pot and simmer over medium heat until it thickens. Turn the heat to low and cover with the lid.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt liberally and add the carrots, parsnips and turnips. Cook for 5 minutes after the water returns to a boil. Check for tenderness. If they are the right texture for you, drain immediately and return to the pot. If not, cook for a minute or two longer. Drain well through a sieve and return the vegetables to the pot off the heat. Add the 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter, and the parsley. Toss the vegetables to coat them with the mixture. Taste and season with salt. Surround the stew with the vegetables, sprinkle with the flaked salt and grind some pepper over it. Serve immediately.
Makes 6-8 servings
Stew Beef Recipes Recipes In Urdu Kerala Style Easy Panlasang Pinoy Pakisani Healthy With PIctures Filipino Style For Kids Asian
Stew Beef Recipes Recipes In Urdu Kerala Style Easy Panlasang Pinoy Pakisani Healthy With PIctures Filipino Style For Kids Asian
Stew Beef Recipes Recipes In Urdu Kerala Style Easy Panlasang Pinoy Pakisani Healthy With PIctures Filipino Style For Kids Asian
Stew Beef Recipes Recipes In Urdu Kerala Style Easy Panlasang Pinoy Pakisani Healthy With PIctures Filipino Style For Kids Asian
Stew Beef Recipes Recipes In Urdu Kerala Style Easy Panlasang Pinoy Pakisani Healthy With PIctures Filipino Style For Kids Asian
Stew Beef Recipes Recipes In Urdu Kerala Style Easy Panlasang Pinoy Pakisani Healthy With PIctures Filipino Style For Kids Asian
Stew Beef Recipes Recipes In Urdu Kerala Style Easy Panlasang Pinoy Pakisani Healthy With PIctures Filipino Style For Kids Asian
Stew Beef Recipes Recipes In Urdu Kerala Style Easy Panlasang Pinoy Pakisani Healthy With PIctures Filipino Style For Kids Asian
Stew Beef Recipes Recipes In Urdu Kerala Style Easy Panlasang Pinoy Pakisani Healthy With PIctures Filipino Style For Kids Asian
Stew Beef Recipes Recipes In Urdu Kerala Style Easy Panlasang Pinoy Pakisani Healthy With PIctures Filipino Style For Kids Asian
Stew Beef Recipes Recipes In Urdu Kerala Style Easy Panlasang Pinoy Pakisani Healthy With PIctures Filipino Style For Kids Asian
Stew Beef Recipes Recipes In Urdu Kerala Style Easy Panlasang Pinoy Pakisani Healthy With PIctures Filipino Style For Kids Asian
Stew Beef Recipes Recipes In Urdu Kerala Style Easy Panlasang Pinoy Pakisani Healthy With PIctures Filipino Style For Kids Asian
Stew Beef Recipes Recipes In Urdu Kerala Style Easy Panlasang Pinoy Pakisani Healthy With PIctures Filipino Style For Kids Asian
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