Stew using shin of beef

ntlbell

When usuing shin of beef for stews, do you normally fry off the meat first?

considering it's meant to be cooked very slowly would you fry it off on a lower heat or?

My oven is on the blink so i'm cooking the stew on the gas ring if it matters

cheers

chucken1

I toss the meat in seasoned flour and brown it in batches in some olive oil.

Then fry up your veg briefly.

Add your stock and simmer with a tight lid on,for about 3 hours. Gas mark 1-2

Remember..a stew boiled is a stew spoiled

Seaneh

brown it, hot and fast.

Very, very hot pan, 30-60 seconds each side and make sure you get around the sides too.

I'd recommend putting a little butchers twine around the man while stewing too, stops it from falling apart, not essential but makes it all a bit tidier.

The Hill Billy

The main reason for frying it off first is to get some carmelisation & flavour on the meat - not to cook it. I'd fry it off on a high heat just until the meat is coloured only, but not cooked through.

Be sure that when you do put the stew together that you don't let it boil. All it needs is a long gentle simmer. Best of luck with it. Yum!

Darkginger

Yeah, agreed, I sear my meat before stewing - there's this thing called the Maillard reaction (think the spelling's right), which is what happens when you brown the meat - it has to be brown, not grey - that's what adds the flavour. If you attempt to brown too much meat at a time, or do it on too low a heat, you won't get the reaction - and it really does make a difference to the taste.

the beer revolu

Agree with the posts above but I've come to the conclusion that if you flour the meat before browning, then you're really only browning the flour rather than the meat. If I want flour in the stew I just stir it into the pot with the meat and veg before adding the liquid (usually beer or wine for me).

Vego

The whole tossing the meat in four is just an easy way to give you a brown roux to slightly thicken your stew and give it a nice dark color along with your red wine reduction adding your flour after will lighten the color of the dish nothing wrong with it but its up to yourself

foodaholic

Ive done it both ways depending on time constraints but to be honest have never really noticed much of a difference between browning it and not. But beef shin is my fav piece of meat for stewing and sooo cheap

the beer revolu

Vego wrote: »

adding your flour after will lighten the color of the dish nothing wrong with it but its up to yourself

Not if you cook it in the pot, stirring for a few minutes.

duploelabs

I've a recipe at the bottom of this page

http://yespleasefood.com/old-recipes/