Stew School

Cut everything up Ideally, meat should be bite-size a 3/4-inch cube. Dice the onion so it will fade into the background. If you8217;re ad...

Cut everything up Ideally, meat should be bite-size a 3/4-inch cube. Dice the onion so it will fade into the background. If you8217;re adding vegetables, the pieces should be about the same size as the meat.

Brown the meat and deglaze the pan Browning the meat first in vegetable oil gives the stew a head start. Add a cup of whatever liquid is being used in the broth to deglaze the pan8212;it8217;s another flavour booster. The liquid, with browned bits scraped from the pan, is added to the stew just before the long cooking begins.

Soften the vegetables In the stewpot, cook the onions briefly and then add the other vegetables and cook for a few minutes. This allows them to sweeten and develop their flavours.

Add spices and flour Spices and flour dissolve in fat, so they should be added before the broth.

Broth and everything else The important rule is, what8217;s added cannot be taken away, so go easy on anything spicy or salty. After adding the browned meat, vegetables, deglazing liquid and salt and pepper, think about the rest, which could include tomato paste, mustard, vinegar, maple syrup or brown sugar, dried herbs, soy sauce, chilli paste and so on. Just enough liquid should be added to cover the meat and vegetables.

Apply slow heat Never let a stew boil. That makes the meat tough, turns the vegetables to mush and dries up the liquid. Instead, keep the lid off and maintain a low simmer.

Adding extras If you8217;re adding grains or vegetables, pay attention to their cooking time. Toss potato chunks in the pot an hour before the stew is done. Barley needs 45 minutes, and rice will be done in 20 minutes. All these are natural thickeners; if you8217;re using one of them, try to use little or no flour. Beans or peas can be added in the last 10 minutes.

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When it8217;s done The cooking time will vary, but two-and-a-half to three hours from when the stew starts to simmer is a good guideline. You8217;ll know the stew is ready when the meat is soft and tender.

Stephanie Witt Sedgwick/ LATWP