Making Stew Without a Recipe
For example, if I've had a wonderful boeuf Bourguignon, for example, and it had some recognizable vegetables in it, I probably wouldn't bother trying to track down a recipe for it. I'd just go home and make something similar, because I understand the methods involved in making stew.
If you are intimidated by cooking without a recipe, please don't be. In this lens, I'll focus on teaching you the cooking methods for making stew, discuss some necessary equipment and ingredients, and give you ideas for flavor profiles so you can make a stew inspired by a particular part of the world.
The Case for Intuitive Stew
Cook What You Like.
How gorgeous is that?! Stew--it just sounds comforting and warming (or is that just me)? Stew is a moist heat cooking method in which you slowly simmer meats and/or vegetables in a savory liquid. That's it. Nowhere in that definition does it say: 'Stew must contain beef.' or 'Stew must contain carrots.' or 'Stew must contain mushrooms." And why not? Because a "stew" is a method, not a recipe.Isn't that freeing?! I mean, look at that picture up there. What do you see? I see some onions, some lovely crispy bits of bacon, a few mushrooms hiding in there, big old hunks of meat and some potatoes. The gravy is lovely--I'm thinking some wine and some stock. And there you have it: Stew.
It's maybe not as easy as all that, but when you understand the basic cooking method behind it all, it really does release you to get as creative as you feel comfortable in creating your own versions of "stew."
Equipment You Will Need to Make Stew
Lodge Logic Pre-Seasoned 5-Quart Dutch Oven with Loop Handles
You will definitely need a big old pot with a tight fitting lid...
Crock-Pot Oval Programmable 5.5-qt. Crock Pot - Metallic Red
...or a crock pot. The crock pot delivers low heat for long periods of time. Perfect for stewing.
Oxo Good Grips Large Wooden Spoon
There's just something about stirring with a wooden spoon...
J.A. Henckels International Classic 8-Inch Stainless-Steel Chef's Knife
Do get yourself a forged chef knife so you can hone and sharpen it. Spend the money now, and you won't have to spend more later to replace a cheap knife.
Oxo Good Grips Mandoline Slicer
Great for slicing everything, from onions to carrots to potatoes.
Great Links for Stewing and Braising
- Crockpot Stew Recipes
- Crockpot recipes and slow cooker recipes for a variety of stews, from beef stew to burgundy, Brunswick and camp stew.
- Irish Beef Stew Recipe | Simply Recipes
- Beef stew recipe made with beef, garlic, stock, Irish Guinness beer, red wine, potatoes, carrots, and onions. An excellent, hearty stew.
- Home Made Beef Stew
- Beef Stew is so yummy! Especially on those cold winter evenings...which aren't so far away! ...
- Veal Stew recipe review
- REVIEWS: Veal Stew recipe. ... This recipe makes enough veal stew for six people and all you need is 1 kg of veal [we used the shoulder] ... Squidoo ...
- Moroccan Lamb Stew - Health Articles - Nutricraze
- cup, teaspoon, stir, lamb, fat, minutes, until, cook, stew, apricots, tomato, into, chicken, sliced, thinly, canned,...
- Hungarian Goulash
- Do you remember having stew as a child? I hope you liked it! It sure seems like I used to have lots of stew when I was younger. Think of this as stew, Hungarian style--that's Hungarian Goulash.
- Beef and Barley Stew
- This quick and easy beef and barley stew tastes great and is filling as well. All the goodness of beef, mushrooms, barley and fresh vegetables. It can be made in an hour and it refrigerates or freezes well so you can make it now and serve later if you choose.
- Rich Creamy Crab Stew
- Don't be misled by the simplicity of this Creamy Crab Stew recipe. It is very easy to prepare and has only a few ingredients, but it is full of luscious crab flavor.
- Crock Pot Chicken Recipes
- Cooking with your crock pot or your slow cooker is so convenient. Especially Crock Pot chicken Recipes are always so convenient.
- Chicken Curry Recipes
- A very good recipe for Chicken Madras. Yum.
Pictures of All Sorts of Stew
Use these pictures and descriptions to get ideas for your own stews!
These Chefs All Cook Intuitively
Do People Find Stew Del.icio.us?
See what people are saying about all sorts of stews. Check it out!
Anyone Blogging About Stew?
- Easy Crockpot Beef Stew | Hillbilly Housewife
- There is nothing better on a cold day than a cup of homemade beef stew and a big hunk of homemade bread or a biscuit. My favorite way to cook my beef stew is in.
The Stewing Prime Directive
Never use an expensive, tender cut of meat in stew, or you will end up with a dry, sad baseball mitt for dinner. Use the cheap cuts that are full of connective tissue and flavor. Cook 'em low and slow in flavorful liquid, and you can't go wrong.
Perfect Meat for Stewing
If you've seen Intuitive Chili, you already know.

It bears repeating, the best meats to use in moist cooking methods are the cheap cuts with a lot of connective tissue. There are two pieces of good news that go along with that (besides the price): 1)the cheaper cuts are more flavorful, and 2)once you get finished with them they will be ridiculously tender.
When looking for meats to use in stewing, look for cuts that are closest to the head and the feet of our animal friends. "Closest to horn and hoof, I've heard it said."
Here are some choices--tough old chicken or turkey (dark meat does especially well), lamb, beef or veal shanks, pork shoulder, brisket, oxtail,
chuck roast, rump roast and short ribs
Once you choose your meat, you can marinate it, but it will be cooking low and slow for hours, so it's not going to need any help with tenderizing. If you're just marinating to add more flavor, go right ahead.
Cut up your meat into large-ish chunks, pat it dry and dredge it in some seasoned flour (salt, pepper, herbs--whatever you like). Brown up this meat in a hot pan in some olive oil (heat the pan first for 2-5 minutes, depending on your stove, then add the oil. Wait until the oil is shimmering all over, then put in the meat).
Deglaze with some stock or some wine, and use this liquid as a part of your stewing liquid.
How to Make Tuscan Beef Stew
Plus side dishes.
A Stew By Any Other Name...
...is still stew.

Thanks to Bertrand Dupperin for the photo. See his photostream here.
Please, don't get caught up by the word "stew." Almost every culture has stew--they just call it different names.
Ever heard of these dishes?
Hungarian Goulash
Cioppino
Chicken Frikassee
Chicken Paprikash
Beef Bourguignon
Coq au Vin
Pot-au-Feu
Curry
All of these are stews or braises. I don't want to cause too much confusion--any, if I can help it--so let me take a minute to talk about the difference between a stew and a braise.
There's not much of a difference. You could differentiate between the two by saying that, in a braise, you use enough liquid to come about 1/2 way up the meat and in a stew you cover the meat. In a braise, you might take the cooking liquid and reduce it to make a sauce. With a stew, the liquid is the sauce. Both are moist heat cooking methods, both yield dishes with complex flavors, both render tough meat tender by breaking down collagen into gelatin. And there you have it.
I am sure the list I made is not exhaustive, by any means. If you know of a stew by another name, please let me know. This way, we can teach each other!
Slow Cookers are Perfect for Stew
Set it and Forget it.
Hamilton Beach 33967 Set 'n Forget 6-Quart Programmable Slow Cooker
Amazon Price: $39.99 (as of 11/16/2009)![]()
If pressed for time, don't worry about browning your meat. Just put all your ingredients in the slow cooker, turn it on, and walk away. If you have the time, brown the meat in a saute pan before adding to the slow cooker. Either way, you'll get maximum flavor for minimal effort.
Welcome to the Gallery o' Stew
Hungarian Goulash

Osso Bucco

Okay, so this is beef stew--but it looks so good!

Coq au Vin

Beef Bourguignon

Lamb Stew
Alternate Names for Stew
Know a regional specialty that's a stew? Let us know about it here!
- Reply
- Reply
-
Reply
- lakeerieartists lakeerieartists Jan 1, 2009 @ 5:48 pm
- Welcome to the Comfort Food Group.
-
Reply
- spirituality spirituality Dec 23, 2008 @ 11:28 am
- I don't eat meat - but your style of cooking is just like mine. I'll take a recipe and tinker with it on the first try :) and it usually turns out great too...
-
Reply
- AndrewGreen AndrewGreen Dec 14, 2008 @ 10:13 am
- Fantastic lens. Great food ideas.
- Load More
Books Focusing on Cooking Techniques
Other Interesting Recipes You Might Enjoy
All of these lenses have one thing in common: they focus on a specific dish. Learn the techniques described, and you can liberate yourself from the recipe and give each dish your own personal flair.-
Polish Pierogi -- Ethnic Comfort Food
-
Growing up in Northeastern Ohio, I can tell you that we ate lots and lots of pierogi! The varieties I remember having most often included stuffings of mashed potato, kraut, dry cottage cheese [my favorite], and PRUNE! OMG, I did not like...
-
The Beef Stroganoff Pantry
-
The purpose of this lens is to give you, the hungry or curious reader, a list of resources to help you find the Beef Stroganoff that you crave. It doesn't matter whether it's: cooked by the finest chef in the world frozen and ready to cook comes in an...
-
The Best Chicken Enchiladas Suizas Recipe in the World
-
Treat yourself to a rich Mexican culinary experience today. Chicken Enchiladas Suizas are a great make-ahead food for company or just for a weeknight when you want something a little special. I've included a few suggestions for side dishes, too. I ho...
Books on Braising and Stewing
Real Stew: 300 Recipes for Authentic Home-Cooked Cassoulet, Gumbo, Chili, Curry, Minestrone, Bouillabaise, Stroganoff, Goulash, Chowder, and Much More
Look! I told you there were lots of different names for stew. This is a great compendium of stews from around the world.
Braises and Stews: Everyday Slow-Cooked Recipes
I like this book because they group braises and stews together. The way is should be.
Tagine: Spicy Stews from Morocco
No, you don't need to buy a fancy tagine--your Dutch oven will do nicely.
Tom Valenti's Soups, Stews, and One-Pot Meals: 125 Home Recipes from the Chef-Owner of New York City's Ouest and 'Cesca
I think the real difference between a soup and a stew is pretty subjective. It's a matter of "chunkiness" and the thickness of the cooking liquid. I'm not really sure at what point the line is crossed from one to the other.
Savory Soups and Stews (Rodale's New Classics)
Turn to this book for ideas for subtly punching up the flavors of old stand-bys.
Are You a Fan of Stew?
Let me know!
Do you have secret cravings for stew? Do you have a secret ingredient you put in your stew? Have you learned anything from this lens, or would you just like to leave a comment? Tell me, tell me--I want to know. Thanks for stopping by!
- Reply
- Reply
-
Reply
- CleanerLife CleanerLife Dec 1, 2008 @ 3:33 pm
- I love stew, and it is something I've made, but I think I'll be using some of your tips here to make it intuitively next time. Intuitive cooking looks like just the thing for me because I stress out trying to follow recipes exactly. Not to say my cooking comes out bad, just that maybe I can relax, and not worry about recipes as much.
- Reply
- Reply
- Load More
Stew Tweets!
-
- stevegiglio
- Oh boy, Stew bashers will have a field day. RT @HoppyKercheval: This morning I will be talking about "the call" in the Cincinnati game.
-
- DoubleSmusician
- I need a Stew Chicken from Borwn Eagle pronto. Farda
-
- sarahvcoften
- @EC1ecoem Need CC details please! Speak this evening - come over if you like - I am cooking healthy fennel, squash & lentil stew.
-
- keyrocco
- Reminder to self: get new Jazz Stew podcast! http://www.jazzstew.com
-
- JazzStew
- Reminder to self: get new Jazz Stew podcast! http://www.jazzstew.com















