Ideas for seasoning stew?!
Answers: Tomorrow I am making stew in the crock pot with lots of fresh veggies. I need some new ideas for seasonings, I am tired of using the same old ones. Thanks for your advice!
After making pot roasts for several years with my mothers same 'ol recipe....I found one that I ONLY use now and I think it would work great for a stew as well because my crockpot potroasts always come out a bit stew like.
1-Budweiser (I've found dark beers tend to be a bit more bitter - and use regular Bud, not light!)
1-can cream of mushroom soup
carrots
celery
onion
sliced mushrooms
bay leaf
garlic powder (or fresh/frozen garlic)
pepper (fresh ground is always best)
salt
a couple splashes Worcheshire
you can also just skip most of the spices and add about 1/2 envelope of Lipton Onion Soup mixl or add 1/4 of the packge and adjust to your likeness. this will make a nice, hearty, thick stew and your meat will come out ohhh so tender. Mmmmmmm...........
Mrs. Dash
Granulated Garlic
Pepper (cayenne, white and black)
Salt
Onion Powder
Celery Salt
Dried Thyme Leaves
Bay Leaves
Red Wine (reduced by 1/3)
Beef and Beer Stew
3 slices bacon, diced
3 large onions, halved and sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 pounds lean stew beef cut in 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup flour
1 bottle dark beer (12 ounce)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Cook bacon until crisp then transfer to paper towels and set aside. Add onions to drippings and cook over medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes, until soft. Sprinkle brown sugar over onions, increase heat to medium high, and cook until onions are golden brown, about 7 or 8 minutes. Add vinegar, salt, and pepper. Transfer onion mixture to the slow cooker.
Sprinkle beef with the flour. Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the beef on all sides. Transfer browned meat to the slow cooker. Add beer to the skillet the beef was cooked in and scrape up the browned bits. Transfer the beer from the skillet to the slow cooker along with the reserved bacon and thyme. Mix all ingredients together. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, until meat is tender.
Well, I don't know what your 'same old ones' but here are some ideas to add to the seasoning:
In the crock pot add 1 can of Guiness Beer
add 1 tsp of Cinnamon
add 2 tbs of Balsamic Vinegar
add 2 tbs Pepprika
add 2 tbs of Curry
add 2 tsp of Nutmeg
That combo brings out the veggies taste, try it and I hope you like it!!
Soak your meat chunks overnight in red wine; then use the red wine for some of the liquid.
Don't forget thyme and a bay leaf or two.
A few spurts of soy sauce, a can of stewed tomatoes and a bunch of chopped cilantro, a couple whole hot chili peppers (pull them out before serving if you don't want the bite in your bowl). This with salt & pepper to taste, of course. This is how I season my beef stews.
Sometimes less is more....with seasonings. I add Kitchen Bouquet about 1 tbl to beef if that is what you are making...also, the same amount of soy sauce and worchestershire. I omit salt because of the soy. Add Pepper and Beef Bouillion to the amount of liquid in the crock pot...About 1 cube per 2 cups liquid. This is simple, not overseasoned, and good.
Classic pot roast:
Fresh garlic, minced dried onions ( use fresh ones too, but the minced adds great flavor), A-1 sauce, use beef broth for the liquid, rosemary, and lemon pepper seasoning.
For a different pot roast- brown 1 tbs minced garlic in olive oil, remove the garlic, and brown your beef- put the browned meat in the croak pot with the veggies, add 1 tbs oregano, 1tsp sugar, and 2 jars of spaghetti sauce (your favorite- I like the Safeway brand ) cook for 8 hours and serve with spaghetti, salad and garlic bread.... Yum.............
Worcestershire sauce and the main thing but not to many BAY LEAVES and
of course nature seasoning..
Okay here is how I do my stew:
1 pound stew meat
1 or 2 carrots peeled and cut into big chunks
1 or 2 ribs of celery cut into big chunks
1 onion chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
1 can stewed tomatoes
Oil
Flour
Seasonings such as seasoned salt, granulated garlic, pepper, celery salt, onion powder and a few bay leaves
In a large skillet heat the oil.
In a zipper seal bag add flour and all the seasoning to taste-except bay leaves. You want to seasoning it kinda heavily becuase it will basically season your whole stew.
Toss the meat into the bag of flour and coat well. Add the meat to the oil, adding a little extra flour.
Meanwhile add all veggies and bay leaf to a soup or crock pot. Add the meat when it is done frying, add all the flour drippings as well.
Simmer on low heat until the meat and veggies are tender. Adding more water or seasonings as needed. Stir from time to time as well.
sage, garlic salt, onion powder, fresh black pepper (gives such a different, deeper taste than the powdered stuff in a can), paprika, and if you like them, finely pureed black olives. they give a great depth of flavor