Spring may seem like it’s just around the corner, but until then I suspect we have more than a few cold winter nights ahead of us. So here are a few of my favorite stews and braises — simple comfort foods to enjoy with a good bottle of wine while you listen to the cold wind rattle your windows.
Stewing and braising generally have three components: meat, vegetables and liquid. The cooking process is done in three steps: sear, sweat and simmer.
Searing means getting the pan and oil good and hot, and browning the hell out of whatever meat you’re cooking. The browner, the better. The browning, known to cooking nerds as the Maillard reaction, is caused by proteins bonding with carbohydrates to create deliciousness. To achieve this effect, make sure the pan and the oil are good and hot and make sure to leave plenty of space between the pieces of meat.
If you’ve properly browned the meat, you will have bits of meaty goodness stuck to the bottom of the pan. In the sweating stage, you will add the vegetables, and their moisture will help you scrape up the goodness, also known as the fond. At the end of this stage, it helps to add a bit of liquid to help scrape up the last little bits.
And now it’s time to simmer. The whole point of braising is to turn a tough cut of meat tender. The key to accomplishing this is to cook it slow and low. If you’re cooking in an oven-safe pot like a Dutch oven, you can put it in a 300 degree oven and forget about it for a couple of hours. If not, you can do the same thing on the stovetop. Just make sure that it doesn’t boil or the meat will only get tougher. You want to keep small bubbles going at all times.
So now that we’ve got the theory, it’s time to put it into practice.
Classic Beef Stew
2 pounds of top round or chuck steak cut into large chunks 1 small onion, roughly chopped 3 ribs of celery, roughly chopped 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped 3 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 cup red wine 2 bay leaves 1-2 pints of beef stock or broth 2 tablespoons vegetable oil Salt and pepper 2 teaspoons of cornstarch
1) Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven.
2) Season the meat with salt and pepper and brown it. Work in batches if necessary.
3) Remove the meat and add the vegetables, garlic and some salt and pepper. Cook for five to 10 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften.
4) Add the red wine and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan
5) Put the meat back into the pot along with any juices that have accumulated, and add enough beef stock to just cover the vegetables.
6) Simmer the stew until the meat falls apart easily.
7) Strain the liquid and put back into the pot over high heat.
8) Dissolve the cornstarch in a little bit of water and add it to the cooking liquid.
9) Boil the liquid until it thickens, then add the meat and vegetables back to the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste.
10) Serve or refrigerate. It will be good now, but even better the next day.
Cuban-style Braised Pork Shoulder
3-4 pounds pork shoulder 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 small onion, sliced thin 4-5 cloves garlic, sliced 1 cup mojo criollo (look for it in the ethnic foods section) 1/2 cup lime juice 1 cup chicken stock or broth Salt and pepper
1) Season the roast with salt and pepper. 2) Sear it over high heat, turning it until it’s browned on all sides. 3) Add the onions and garlic and cook for five to 10 minutes. 4) Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until the pork falls apart easily. 5) Serve or refrigerate. It’s great with rice and beans, for use in tacos or on bread with some ham and melted Swiss cheese over it.
Snowpocalypse Chili
1 pound ground beef 1 pound dried kidney beans 1 large onion 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 teaspoon garlic powder* 1 teaspoon chili powder* 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard* 1 teaspoon onion powder* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper* 1/4 cup tomato paste Salt and pepper *Note: spices are rough estimates — be prepared to taste and adjust.
1) Soak the beans overnight in a half-gallon of water.
2) Brown the beef along with salt, pepper and spices over high heat. Cook it until all the moisture has evaporated.
3) Add the onions and cook them until they start to soften.
4) Add the tomato paste, the kidney beans and the water you soaked them in.
5) Simmer until the beans are tender.
6) If the chili is soupy, boil it until the sauce reduces.
7) Eat it until the Metro runs again.
You can reach this columnist at thescene@theeagleonline.com
