Hi. I just read a recipe for braised beef cheeks in red wine. After
browning the beef, pot is deglazed etc. Beef is put back in and red
wine and stock added. Baby carrots are added at this time as well.
Question: The stew must simmer a couple of hours at least. Will the
carrots not turn to mush?

On Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:57:28 -0700 (PDT), donny
> wrote:

>Hi. I just read a recipe for braised beef cheeks in red wine. After
>browning the beef, pot is deglazed etc. Beef is put back in and red
>wine and stock added. Baby carrots are added at this time as well.
>Question: The stew must simmer a couple of hours at least. Will the
>carrots not turn to mush?

Yep! especially with baby carrots. I would add the last 40
minutes. Or precook in microwave until al dente then add the last
10 minutes.

Bon Appetit!

In article >,
Billy <Hereiam@hotmaildotcom> wrote:

> On Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:57:28 -0700 (PDT), donny
> > wrote:
>
> >Hi. I just read a recipe for braised beef cheeks in red wine. After
> >browning the beef, pot is deglazed etc. Beef is put back in and red
> >wine and stock added. Baby carrots are added at this time as well.
> >Question: The stew must simmer a couple of hours at least. Will the
> >carrots not turn to mush?
>
> Yep! especially with baby carrots. I would add the last 40
> minutes. Or precook in microwave until al dente then add the last
> 10 minutes.
>
> Bon Appetit!

;-)
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

Billy wrote:

>> Hi. I just read a recipe for braised beef cheeks in red wine. After
>> browning the beef, pot is deglazed etc. Beef is put back in and red
>> wine and stock added. Baby carrots are added at this time as well.
>> Question: The stew must simmer a couple of hours at least. Will the
>> carrots not turn to mush?
>
> Yep! especially with baby carrots. I would add the last 40
> minutes. Or precook in microwave until al dente then add the last
> 10 minutes.

It's true that the carrots will get very soft after that lengthy cooking,
but they'll still keep their shape if they're not roughly handled. More to
the point, though, are you supposed to eat the carrots along with the stew?
The coq au vin recipe I follow has you cook big chunks of onions, carrots,
and celery in the stew to add flavor, but you take them out and add other
vegetables to make what you're actually going to eat. Could the recipe for
braised beef cheeks be like that? (I realize that it's unlikely, because the
OP mentioned BABY carrots, and using baby carrots rather than normal-sized
carrots like that would be pointless. But I thought I'd ask anyway.)

Bob

On Sep 22, 1:32*am, "Bob Terwilliger" >
wrote:
> Billy wrote:
> >> Hi. *I just read a recipe for braised beef cheeks in red wine. *After
> >> browning the beef, pot is deglazed etc. *Beef is put back in and red
> >> wine and stock added. *Baby carrots are added at this time as well.
> >> Question: *The stew must simmer a couple of hours at least. *Will the
> >> carrots not turn to mush?
>
> > Yep! * especially with baby carrots. * *I would add the last 40
> > minutes. * *Or precook in microwave until al dente then add the last
> > 10 minutes.
>
> It's true that the carrots will get very soft after that lengthy cooking,
> but they'll still keep their shape if they're not roughly handled. More to
> the point, though, are you supposed to eat the carrots along with the stew?
> The coq au vin recipe I follow has you cook big chunks of onions, carrots,
> and celery in the stew to add flavor, but you take them out and add other
> vegetables to make what you're actually going to eat. Could the recipe for
> braised beef cheeks be like that? (I realize that it's unlikely, because the
> OP mentioned BABY carrots, and using baby carrots rather than normal-sized
> carrots like that would be pointless. But I thought I'd ask anyway.)
>
> Bob

You're supposed to eat the carrots. Actually the recipe is in this
month's Gourmet that I read at the library; I don't have a copy here.

"donny" > wrote in message
...
> Hi. I just read a recipe for braised beef cheeks in red wine. After
> browning the beef, pot is deglazed etc. Beef is put back in and red
> wine and stock added. Baby carrots are added at this time as well.
> Question: The stew must simmer a couple of hours at least. Will the
> carrots not turn to mush?

I always add my vegetables late when I am braising beef for stew. I think I
would add the carrots the last hour, so they retain their sweetness.

On Sep 21, 1:17*pm, "cybercat" > wrote:
> "donny" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > Hi. *I just read a recipe for braised beef cheeks in red wine. *After
> > browning the beef, pot is deglazed etc. *Beef is put back in and red
> > wine and stock added. *Baby carrots are added at this time as well.
> > Question: *The stew must simmer a couple of hours at least. *Will the
> > carrots not turn to mush?
>
> I always add my vegetables late when I am braising beef for stew. I think I
> would add the carrots the last hour, so they retain their sweetness.

That's what I thought, but the recipe was from a Bistro in France and
I thought they would take all that into consideration. Maybe they
want them really really soft or something.

"donny" > wrote
>
> I always add my vegetables late when I am braising beef for stew. I think
> I
> would add the carrots the last hour, so they retain their sweetness.

>>That's what I thought, but the recipe was from a Bistro in France and
>>I thought they would take all that into consideration. Maybe they
>>want them really really soft or something.

I rarely use recipes. Maybe try it that way, and see for yourself!

cybercat wrote:

> "donny" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi. I just read a recipe for braised beef cheeks in red wine. After
> > browning the beef, pot is deglazed etc. Beef is put back in and red
> > wine and stock added. Baby carrots are added at this time as well.
> > Question: The stew must simmer a couple of hours at least. Will the
> > carrots not turn to mush?
>
> I always add my vegetables late when I am braising beef for stew. I think
I
> would add the carrots the last hour, so they retain their sweetness.
>


So don't buy *sour* carrots, cyberpussie...and to bring out the complexity
of the flavors it helps to "layer" the ingredients in such a dish, e.g. add
some carrots at the beginning of cooking and then add some towards the
latter part of cooking. You will not only get a more rich and complex
flavor but also a better dish texture - wise...


--
Best
Greg

On Sep 21, 8:57*am, donny > wrote:
> Hi. *I just read a recipe for braised beef cheeks in red wine. *After
> browning the beef, pot is deglazed etc. *Beef is put back in and red
> wine and stock added. *Baby carrots are added at this time as well.
> Question: *The stew must simmer a couple of hours at least. *Will the
> carrots not turn to mush?

There are both texture and taste to consider. Sounds like the recipe
wants the full flavor and sweetening effect of long simmering carrots.
Baby carrots, being usually shaped portions of big old carrots, will
hold their shape. Personally I think too much long cooked carrot is
overpowering, so what I do is include one carrot from the beginning.
Then about a half hour before the stew is finished, I remove that
carrot and put in however many sliced carrots I want in the final
dish. That way I get the texture of carrots I want and still control
the sweetness. -aem

donny wrote:
> Hi. I just read a recipe for braised beef cheeks in red wine. After
> browning the beef, pot is deglazed etc. Beef is put back in and red
> wine and stock added. Baby carrots are added at this time as well.
> Question: The stew must simmer a couple of hours at least. Will the
> carrots not turn to mush?

Maybe put them in in the last hour, maybe 45 minutes. Carrots tend to
take over all the flavors if they are in there too long, and mushy
carrots suck.

I generally use recipes as a guideline, and adjust.

In article
>,
donny > wrote:

> Hi. I just read a recipe for braised beef cheeks in red wine. After
> browning the beef, pot is deglazed etc. Beef is put back in and red
> wine and stock added. Baby carrots are added at this time as well.
> Question: The stew must simmer a couple of hours at least. Will the
> carrots not turn to mush?

If I worry about cooking times. I'll cook veggies separately.

I steam carrots for 18 minutes in the microwave then add them to the
finished dish.
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

On Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:34:30 -0500, Omelet wrote:

> In article
> >,
> donny > wrote:
>
>> Hi. I just read a recipe for braised beef cheeks in red wine. After
>> browning the beef, pot is deglazed etc. Beef is put back in and red
>> wine and stock added. Baby carrots are added at this time as well.
>> Question: The stew must simmer a couple of hours at least. Will the
>> carrots not turn to mush?
>
> If I worry about cooking times. I'll cook veggies separately.
>
> I steam carrots for 18 minutes in the microwave then add them to the
> finished dish.

but then you would miss *any* flavor exchange. i think it would be better
to add them later in the process to avoid mush.

your pal,
blake

In article >,
blake murphy > wrote:

> On Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:34:30 -0500, Omelet wrote:
>
> > In article
> > >,
> > donny > wrote:
> >
> >> Hi. I just read a recipe for braised beef cheeks in red wine. After
> >> browning the beef, pot is deglazed etc. Beef is put back in and red
> >> wine and stock added. Baby carrots are added at this time as well.
> >> Question: The stew must simmer a couple of hours at least. Will the
> >> carrots not turn to mush?
> >
> > If I worry about cooking times. I'll cook veggies separately.
> >
> > I steam carrots for 18 minutes in the microwave then add them to the
> > finished dish.
>
> but then you would miss *any* flavor exchange.

That's part of the idea.

> I think it would be better
> to add them later in the process to avoid mush.
>
> your pal,
> blake

I'm not overly fond of the carrot flavor overwhelming soups and stews.
They tend to do that.

YMMV as always. ;-)

If I want to eat carrots, I'll eat carrots. I don't want my rice, soups
or stews to taste entirely of carrots. They are worse than celery for
overwhelming things.
--
Peace! Om

"If you don't read the newspaper you are uninformed; if you do read the newspaper you are misinformed." --Mark Twain

In article >, blake murphy > wrote:
>On Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:34:30 -0500, Omelet wrote:
>> In article
>> >,
>> donny > wrote:
>>
>>> Hi. I just read a recipe for braised beef cheeks in red wine. After
>>> browning the beef, pot is deglazed etc. Beef is put back in and red
>>> wine and stock added. Baby carrots are added at this time as well.
>>> Question: The stew must simmer a couple of hours at least. Will the
>>> carrots not turn to mush?
>>
>> If I worry about cooking times. I'll cook veggies separately.
>>
>> I steam carrots for 18 minutes in the microwave then add them to the
>> finished dish.
>
>but then you would miss *any* flavor exchange. i think it would be better
>to add them later in the process to avoid mush.

Eighteen minutes in the microwave would turn them to mush anyway.
(Well it would if you're only cooking for yourself and you're not
Br'er Rabbit!)

Cheers, Phred.

--
LID

On Sep 21, 11:57�am, donny > wrote:
> Hi. �I just read a recipe for braised beef cheeks in red wine. �After
> browning the beef, pot is deglazed etc. �Beef is put back in and red
> wine and stock added. �Baby carrots are added at this time as well.
> Question: �The stew must simmer a couple of hours at least. �Will the
> carrots not turn to mush?

In my book you can never overcook carrots, and no, they will not turn
to mush no matter how long you cook them. The same is true with green
beans.