my stews suck. they taste so fuckin bland. All I put in them is beef, potatoes, onion, garlic, carrots, and steak spice, no flour(i dont have any). even when I would put in consume it still tasted bland. I cook it for about 2.5 hours on 350 so everything is cooked, not mushy but soft. but man i dont know what it is, sometime ill grate cheese on a portion after and that makes it alright. What I want to know are some good spices to put in stew to give it some good flavour kick!

What flavours do you enjoy?

try whole basil leaves. take them out before you serve the stew.

you can also try cornstarch instead of flour.

I'd do without the steak spice.

Season with salt and pepper in every stage of cooking, tasting along the way. It's all you really need, but you could toss in some fresh herbs near the end for an added kick. Try chives, parsley, basil, shit like that.

Try using meat attached to bones, instead of meat alone. The bones and marrow will give you alot of flavour. You can try browning the meat before stewing too.
Deglaze the pan afterwards and add it back into the stew.

Instead of all water, use half water and half beef broth.


*ObZ

Onion soup mix.

The last stew I made was simply:

2.5 pounds of stew meat
7 small potatoes diced
3 carrots diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can french onion soup
1 jar mushrooms
1 packet onion soup mix
1/2 cup red wine
salt and pepper

You can basically do whatever you want. Hell, get some traditional indian seasonings and make an indian flavored stew.

Onion soup mix.

The last stew I made was simply:

2.5 pounds of stew meat
7 small potatoes diced
3 carrots diced
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can french onion soup
1 jar mushrooms
1 packet onion soup mix
1/2 cup red wine
salt and pepper

You can basically do whatever you want. Hell, get some traditional indian seasonings and make an indian flavored stew.

Interesting...

*ObZ

interesting indeed. I was actually thinking of adding a can of condensed tomato soup for my flavour, i know my auntie has done this before but i dont know the exact recipe.
Anyone ever try that?

throw a couple of bay leaves in, like 2 or 3. maybe a bit of orgeano. cummin is a great spice to add to hearty dishes as is ground corriandor i think. also use more garlic, salt, an black pepper.


i have even been know to add a half cup of brown sugar to my beef stew. an for that added kick, a few pinches of cinnimon really lightens up the taste.

good luck man.

A good quality meat stock is one of the key factors behind a good stew or casserole. You could settle for bouillon cubes or whatever if you like but there is a huge gulf between them and proper stock.

Just try not to overcomplicate things when you make these. The point is that they are cooked slowly to let the contents flavours come out in the right proportions. If you go sticking in all sorts of ground spices and herbs from your cupboard in then you will distort the flavour of the meat and vegetables considerably.

If you must add spices then use whole spices as opposed to ground because they are more suitable for slow cooking. If you must use ground spices then add them towards the end of cooking.

Simplicity is often the best policy if you want to impress someone with a stew or casserole.

My basic formula would be:

[LIST]
Good quality stock
A cut of meat best suited for slow cooking.
A selection of seasonal vegetables
Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper at different stages
Serve with something starchy; brown rice is one of my favourites.


That's it...when u realize what brilliant flavours there is to be attained from something so simple you can then think about experimenting with something new like spices.

Make sure you get your meat nice and coloured first. Roll it in some flour and fry it in your pan first, then chuck it in your pot. Deglazing said pan and making a stock or reduction to add in addition will help also.

I've always found with beef, a touch of cayenne pepper does a world of good.

I've always found with beef, a touch of cayenne pepper does a world of good.

I can imagine, although it'd depend what kind of stew you were making, right?

Aye yeh, I like to make a more deep flavour with beef, like sort of indulgent if you get me. The cayenne adds a subtle warmness to it. Quality winter food.

Ingredients:

Carrots
Green capsicum
Mushrooms
Onions
Garlic
Canned whole, peeled tomatoes
Sea shell pasta
Tomato paste
beef stock
Oregano
Potato
Mozzarella

You want to brown the onions with some garlic, then throw in your chopped carrots next. Let them soften a bit as they take the longest to cook. Next throw in some capsicum let that cook for about 1 minute then add 1l of water with 2 cubes of beef stock. Get this to a low boil and add the tomatoes, pasta and potatoes. Put the mushrooms in last since they get soggy very quickly. Add tomato paste till your desired level is required, season with salt, pepper and oregano till your liking. Serve while hot and cover with mozzarella.

Seems ok. Can I say something though, and I aint't tryin to burn you I just found it funny.

Sea shell pasta = Conchiglie

lol sorry pal, i couldn't help it.

Adding a few cups of rice into some stews can make for a nice change instead of having potato.