Beef stew is one of those things that has to develop organically from what is in your kitchen. In addition to the obviously necessary potatoes and onions, this time of year it’s likely to include carrots, kale or other hardy winter greens, and maybe something like parsnips or even beets. I need something green in my stew, and the most likely candidate is parsley, chopped and added at the last minute.

I find that the main determinate of the character of the stew – after the choice of vegetables – is the deglazing liquid. I always dredge my meat in salted, peppered flour and fry it along with any hard veggies (carrot, celery, beet, onion) and spices and tough herbs like rosemary or fennel seeds. When things are beginning to brown nicely, you want to deglaze. But with what? Wine is a traditional choice – but white or red? I’d use white if I were planning a “greens” stew with lots of leafy stuff, and red if I were planning a “roots” stew with lots of roots like parsnips or celeriac. Or mushrooms – mushrooms go with red. But that’s just an instinct. Maybe I’m wrong.

Beer is a great deglazer. A dark stout goes terrific with a thick wild mushroom stew. Ooooh – how about a beef and wild mushroom stew deglazes with Guiness and then cooked with pearl barley and finished with lots of chopped parsley? OMG you’re welcome. But really, anything you happen to be drinking will work.

I’ve used apple juice to deglaze. I’ve used orange juice when I was making a spicy beef curry. And of course there’s always plain water or vegetable stock.

Glad you are learning so much! Thanks so much for sharing!

Thanks so much for your support…I knew you would understand.

Whoa! Meathenge is going on 7 years eh? Congrats! Thats quite an accomplishment to keep a site (let alone one as fantastic as yours) going for so long. Good for you- to know your personal limit so well and in that not burn out over the years is an impressive feat.
I agree, the computer is a time vacuum. Less time on the computer= more time living a real life.

Thanks again for the love Biggles…you’ve always been one of my favorites.

XO-C

On the same note, if you have never had a real blog for at least a year or so, you just don’t know what we go through to keep these creatures rolling. Meathenge is coming up on its 7th birthday and sister, that’s a long time in blog years. A good blog will post something worth reading 3 times out of 7 days, 1 or 2 is fine. Readers know when they’re getting forced posts every day (you’re ain’t forced), knock it back a few and relax.

It’s fun to watch a new blog hit the wires. 1 huge post a day! I’ve seen many come and even more go throughout the years. Pace yourself and never attempt to bring us what you think we want. Be yourself and set a comfortable pace, if not you’ll end up stabbing your keyboard out of comfortable violence. Put up a sign, “On Vacation, back in 2 weeks. Love you, bye!”

That’s all there is to that.

xo, Biggles

As far as my writing…Im not giving up. Im just dropping it down a notch for now.

Cheers,
Cherie

Don’t forget…. culinary school doesnt last forever!