Mastering the Art of A little know-how goes a long way toward avoiding common mistakes when making . Here’s how to get it right every time. by keith dresser

Stew is kitchen alchemy that turns a marginal cut of Key Equipment Key enhancers and some basic into something rich, Broth flavorful, and much more interesting. Even better, stew A Dutch oven is essential for making stew. Look for While broth is not as central to the generally requires little preparation or effort; time and one that is twice as wide as it is high, with a minimum flavor of stew as it is to , choos- gentle do all the work. That said, we’ve all capacity of 6 quarts (7 or 8 is even better). The bot- ing a high-quality brand is still impor- had (or made) stews with tough meat, listless veg- tom should be thick, so browns evenly and the tant. And using a low-sodium broth etables, and dull, watery broth. Over the years, we’ve pot retains heat during . The pot should also is essential; as the liquid in a stew learned which steps produce a superior stew. have a tight-fitting lid to prevent excess evaporation. reduces, regular full-sodium broth can turn the stew too salty and ruin Test Kitchen winner: the flavor. Choosing the Right Meat (le creuset 71/4-Quart Test Kitchen Choosing the proper cut of meat is the single most impor- Round French winnerS: tant part of making a great stew. We like to use cuts from Oven, $229.95 (swanson Certified Organic the shoulder area, because they have the best combination Free Range Chicken Broth and of flavor and texture. Meat from this region is well marbled best buy: PACIFIC Broth with fat, which means it won’t dry out during long, slow (Tramontina 6.5 Quart Cast Iron Dutch cooking. In chicken, the high percentage of intramuscular Oven, $39.86 fat in thigh meat makes this part the preferred choice. For When a stew calls for wine, many the best results, we like to cut our own stew meat (see “Cut heatproof spatula cooks will grab the least-expensive Your Own Meat,” page 17). Wooden spoons are things of the past. Our favorite bottle on hand. But even in small spatula is rigid enough to stir a thick stew yet flexible amounts, there is no hiding the taste enough to get into the tight corners of a pot when of bad wine. In the test kitchen, we We like pork butt (also deglazing. Throw in the fact that its surface won’t prefer the fuller, more complex flavor called Boston shoulder or stain, and what’s not to like? of wine made with more than one Boston butt) for its great grape variety. flavor, but the less-expensive Pork butt and slightly fattier picnic shoulder Test Kitchen winner: is also a fine choice. (cÔtes dU rhÔne or other Test Kitchen winner: fruity wine with little or no oak Beef (Rubbermaid 13.5-Inch High Heat Scraper, We love the beefy taste and $11.40 beer exceptional tenderness of chuck- In general, we prefer darker ales to eye roast. Another good option: tongs lighter lagers for the rich, full flavor the chuck 7-bone roast. After flipping thousands of batches of they impart to stew (lager can leave Chuck Eye cubed meat, we’ve come to value stews tasting watery). As long as Lamb a good pair of tongs. Our they’re dark, nonalcoholic ales will Roasts from the lamb shoulder favorite handily picks up work equally well. can be hard to find, so we rely on the smallest pieces of Test Kitchen winnerS: shoulder-cut chops such as the meat without tearing Amber and dark-colored round-bone for our stews. This or mashing. ( ales chop has bold taste mellowed by Test Kitchen winner: long cooking, and its bones are OXO Good Grips 12-Inch Locking Tongs, $10.39 paste a bonus that add extra flavor to round-bone ( A small amount of tomato paste added to a stew along the pot. An alternative choice is chop ladle with the aromatics brings depth and color, and its slight the blade chop. A ladle is definitely the best tool for dividing acidity enhances the flavor of other ingredients. portions among individual bowls; it’s also use- Chicken ful for skimming fat from the surface of the The extra fat and connective tissue stew before serving. in thigh meat make it better suited bone-in than breast meat for stew; it also chicken thigh Test Kitchen winner: on: John Burgoyne separates more easily from the (Rösle Ladle with i bone than does drumstick meat. We use skin-on thighs Pouring Rim & Hook TEST KITCHEN WINNER: to protect the meat and keep it from overcooking and Handle, $26.95 (amore Tomato Paste drying out during browning. Both the bones and fat lend Illustrat stronger chicken flavor. c o o k ’ s illustrated

16 How Long Does It Take: Vegetables Below are some common stew vegetables and general guidelines for how long to cook them. In many cases, you will be adding the vegetables once the stew 10 steps to better stew has been cooking in the oven for a while. 1. Cut Your Own Meat Packaged stew meat is often made up of preparation cooking time irregularly shaped scraps that cook at varying Potatoes 1- to 11-inch cubes 1 hour rates. Cut your own stew meat to guarantee sliced ¼ to 1 inch thick 1 hour same-sized chunks that share the same flavor and cooking time. Use fatty, flavorful cuts Parsnips sliced ¼ to 1 inch thick 1 hour from the shoulder, or chuck, that will stay Sweet Potatoes quartered and sliced 1 inch thick 1 hour moist with extended cooking. Turnips 1-inch dice 45 minutes 2. Skip the Before Browning Peppers 1-inch dice 45 minutes Contrary to popular belief, dusting meat 45 minutes with flour before it doesn’t help it Canned rinsed brown better. In fact, we have found just Frozen Vegetables do not thaw 15 to 20 minutes the opposite. The flour itself darkens a lit- washed and chopped 20 to 30 minutes tle, but the meat remains pale and doesn’t Hearty Greens develop the intense flavor compounds that Tender Greens washed and chopped 1 to 2 minutes are the goal of browning. Instead of flour- chopped Stir in off heat ing, pat stew meat dry and season it with Fresh and pepper before browning.

How Long Does It Take: meat 3. Brown Meat Properly Because meat varies in moisture and fat content, pinpointing cooking times is Crowding the pan with too much meat or using inadequate heat can cause meat not an exact science. The chart below offers general guidelines. to steam (rather than brown) and ultimately lose flavor. To avoid this problem, add the meat only after the oil begins to smoke and leave plenty of space (about meat cube size approx. cooking time ½ inch) between pieces (this means no more than 1 pound of meat per batch). Turn only when the first side is well seared. Beef, Pork, and Lamb 1 to 11 inches 2 to 21 hours Beef, Pork, and Lamb 11 to 2 inches 21 to 3 hours 4. If Fond Burns, Remove It Chicken Thighs whole 30 to 60 minutes Browning meat in more than two batches can lead to a pan covered by burnt (rather than browned) fond that can impart a bitter flavor to the stew. If the fond is , add a little to the empty pot and scrape the fond to loosen it. 8. Simmer Stew in Oven Discard burnt bits and water and wipe the pot clean. Add fresh oil and proceed To ensure a steady, gentle simmer with the next batch of meat. that allows the internal tempera- ture of the meat to rise slowly and 5. SautÉ Aromatics to eliminates the risk of scorching Enhance Flavor the pot bottom, cook the stew that call for dumping and in a covered Dutch oven at 300 aromatics, such as garlic and , into degrees. This will keep the temper- the pot at the same time as the liquid ature of the stewing liquid below fail to maximize their flavor. So hold the the point (212 degrees) liquid and sauté these flavor-enhancing and ensure meat that is tender, not ingredients first. tough.

6. Flour Aromatics to 9. Cook Meat Until Thicken Stew Fall-Apart Tender Many recipes call for thickening a stew at When meat is undercooked, its fat the end of cooking by leaving the lid off, and connective tissue have not had but this method risks overcooking. Thicken the chance to break down sufficiently, and it will taste rubbery and stew at the beginning of the cooking pro- tough. Cook meat to the point where collagen has melted down cess by sprinkling flour over the sautéed into gelatin. This yields tender meat that separates easily when aromatics. Cook the flour for a minute or pulled apart with two forks. (See “How Long Does It two to remove any raw flour taste. Take: Meat,” above.)

7. Stagger Addition 10. Defat Before Serving of Vegetables Pour stew liquid into a narrow container before When vegetables are dumped indiscriminately into the pot at the outset of cook- defatting. This will create a thicker layer of fat ing, they not only lose flavor and turn mushy, but also water down the stew. Take that’s easier to remove. Alternatively, refrigerate into account the cooking time of individual vegetables (see “How Long Does It the stew overnight. When the fat solidifies, it can Take: Vegetables,” above) and add them at the appropriate time. be lifted right off.

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