"Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
15.223...
>I consider myself a pretty good cook, and judging from what friends
> have said, they agree.
>
> However, I have almost never made a stew, either using "stew meat" or
> cutting up a roast for stew where the resulting meat has a really
> moist, unctious and velvety or smooth texture. It comes out tender
> but "dry". I normally use beef stock for the liquid and sometimes
> add wine. Seasonings and vegetables aside, it's the meat alone that
> is problematic.
>
> I alwyas brown the meat and have cooked it in various traditional
> ways, e.g., simmered on stovetop, in a covered dutch oven in the
> stove, in a pressure cooker, in a slow cooker, etc. Still, I'm
> always disappointed with the result. A part from using a pressure
> cooker I always cook long and slow.
>
> My exprience in restaurants has convinced me that I'm doing someting
> wrong or that something is missing. The stews I've been served have
> always had the desirable qualities.
>
> The meat I buy seems to have enough marbling, so what am I missing?
>
> I've had the same experience in cooking "beef tips".
>
> TIA

I'm going to make stew in a few minutes. I always buy what is called "stew
meat". Unless it's not a beef stew of course.

I brown the meat, season with salt and pepper, then add liquid and
seasonings. The liquid I add might be tomato juice or thinned down sauce or
it might be beef broth or bouillon, depending on who will be eating it. Some
people I know don't do well with tomatoes. I also add parsley and a bay
leaf.

I cook the meat for about two hours then add the rest of the ingredients.
Normally this would be potatoes, onion, carrots and celery for sure. All
raw. Add more seasonings. Not usually another bay leaf but more salt, pepper
and parsley. If I have other raw vegetables to use, I will add then. Could
be green beans, corn, zucchini, bell peppers... In other words, things that
take longer to cook.

When those veggies are tender, I will add anything else I might want to add
that doesn't take long to cook. Things like spinach, mushrooms or canned
vegetables. And if needed, more seasonings.

I will add more liquid as needed. I don't always thicken the liquid. I grew
up eating a tomato based broth with no thickening. But if I decide that
there is too much liquid or I want it thicker, I will add Wondra Flour or
sweet rice flour, again, depending on who I am cooking for.

I do leave the lid on during the cooking process but I will remove it at the
end and continue to cook if I want to cook down that liquid some. I have
also used a good red wine as part of the liquid.