A beef stew with potatoes is one of the perfect options for a hearty lunch or dinner. The dish is prepared in a deep frying pan, pots, multicooker and even in a cauldron. It is essentially a stew and is open to experimentation. By varying the ingredients, you can give the beef and potato stew an original "sound".
Which part of the beef is best for stewing
The success of a beef and potato stew largely depends on choosing the right meat. There are three types of beef. The sternum, rump, back and sirloin belong to the highest, the flank, shoulder blade, neck and shoulders are to the first, the incision, back and front shanks to the second. The lower the grade, the more veins in it.
For beef stew, opt for. The latter is considered ideal. There are layers of fat in the neck, thanks to which the beef will not lose moisture during stewing and, as a result, it will turn out juicy and coarse.
Both steamed and frozen meat will do. The main thing is that it is relatively fresh.
How to properly prepare beef for stewing
Choosing meat is half the battle. It is important to observe the subtleties when preparing and cutting it, so that the beef is not "rubbery". Allow frozen meat to thaw in the refrigerator. Don't make the mistake of doing this at room temperature.
Leave the steamed beef in the refrigerator for at least 10 hours before cooking. During this time, it is fermented, otherwise it will be tough. Remove both fresh and defrosted meat half an hour before cooking. This is necessary for it to "come" to room temperature. Many people neglect this. Such a measure will allow moisture to be evenly distributed over the fibers, and the beef will take on a homogeneous structure.
The size of the meat pieces is important. For stewing, they should be about the size of a walnut. The shape of the pieces is not important: you can cut the meat either into cubes or into cubes.
Do not forget about the "golden" rule: cut the beef across the grain. Otherwise, it will lose more juices during the stewing process, and with them it will lose its softness. Excess grease, streaks and films must be removed.
If the beef is too tough, be sure to hit it with a hammer. Otherwise, it will seem "rubbery".
Bavarian beef stew with potatoes in a pan
The originality of this recipe is given by beer. This frothy drink will make beef tender, soft and add subtle hops and malt flavors to it. Dark beer is more suitable for stewing meat, then the dish will acquire a richer "bread" aroma.
- 1 kg of beef;
- 4-5 potatoes;
- a bottle of dark beer;
- onion head;
- 1 medium bell pepper;
- 1 medium carrot;
- 2-3 medium tomatoes;
- vegetable oil;
- flour for breading;
- 10 black peppercorns;
- salt to taste.
- Wash the beef, pat dry with paper towels and cut into large cubes.
- Prepare the breading. In a bowl, combine flour and salt. Crush the black peppercorns in a mortar. If desired, you can add other spices to taste, such as paprika. Pour into a bowl of flour and stir.
- Dip the breaded pieces of beef and fry in a small amount of vegetable oil in a pan. It is important to heat the pan well so that the meat loses as little juice as possible during frying.
- Add onion and bell pepper, chopped in half rings to the beef, and carrots grated on a coarse grater. Fry for no more than 3-4 minutes.
- Peel the tomatoes, chop finely and add to the beef. If they are sour, feel free to add a pinch of sugar. You can use tomato paste instead of tomatoes. Taste the meat to see if there is enough salt. If not, add more.
- Pour beer into the skillet, cover and reduce heat. Simmer the beef for about 1, 5 hours, tasting occasionally with salt. If the meat is too old, lengthen the cooking time by another half hour.
- Cut the potatoes into wedges and add to the meat. Simmer for another 25-30 minutes. If too much liquid remains, remove the cap a few minutes before cooking.
- Sprinkle with chopped herbs and serve.
Korean style beef stew with potatoes in pots
The peculiarity of this method of cooking beef stew with potatoes lies in the preliminary soaking of the meat in the marinade. The dish is obtained with a slight spice.
- 1 kg of beef;
- 4-5 potatoes;
- bell pepper;
- onion head;
- 3 cloves of garlic;
- half a small ginger root;
- vegetable oil;
- honey or sugar;
- 1 tbsp. rice vinegar.
- Make a marinade by mixing grated ginger root, honey, and pressed garlic in rice vinegar.
- Cut the beef into thin slices. Beat them lightly, place in a bowl and pour in the marinade. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. You can marinate the beef all night.
- Heat vegetable oil in a skillet. Fry the marinated meat with chopped onions and bell peppers for 4-5 minutes. You can skip this step and immediately put the beef and vegetables in the pots. Add potatoes, cut into wedges or large cubes.
- Place the pots in an oven preheated to 200 ° C. Be sure to cover them with a lid. Simmer the dish for at least 40-50 minutes. Serve directly in pots.
Beef stew with potatoes: a recipe with prunes
In this recipe, the meat is stewed as usual. The only "originality" is that beef and potatoes are supplemented with prunes. Its sweetness fits well into the overall flavor composition.
- 500 g of beef pulp;
- 3 potatoes;
- 200 g of prunes;
- 2 tbsp. l. tomato paste;
- 4 tbsp. l. vegetable oil;
- bulb;
- spices and salt.
- Take a deep frying pan and heat the vegetable oil on it. Cut the onion into small cubes, place in a skillet and save over medium-high heat. It is important that it only softens and not burns. To do this, stir frequently onions.
- Wash the meat, dry and cut into medium squares. Send it to the bow, placing it on top. Try not to stir the beef too much so that it loses as little juice as possible. Do this only after the meat is "cooked", that is, grabbed.
- Add the tomato paste as soon as all the beef juice has evaporated. Pour in water and stir. The liquid should completely cover the beef. Wait until boiling, then reduce heat to low and cover skillet with lid. Simmer the beef for 40 minutes. This time is enough for its coarse fibers to soften well.
- Peel potatoes, cut into wedges and add to the meat. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Rinse out the prunes. It is important that it is pitted. Pre-dried fruit can be soaked in warm water for half an hour. Cut it in half and add to the beef and potatoes. Stir and simmer for another 15-20 minutes, it all depends on the "age" of the meat. Top up with water as needed. Thanks to the presence of prunes, the dish will turn out fragrant and with a pleasant sweetness.
- Season with salt and pepper 5-7 minutes until cooked through. Use other spices, such as cinnamon, if desired. Its spice will perfectly set off prunes. Just do not overdo it, otherwise you will kill the already original taste of the dish.
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Sprinkle fresh herbs over the dish and serve.
Image This recipe can also be cooked in the oven. Use a mold or serving pots for this. Oven beef will be softer than pan-cooked beef.
