Beef stew, a seemingly simple home-cooked dish, always has a place on our table. Whether it's a cold winter day or when you need a hearty dinner, a pot of hot, fragrant beef is always uplifting. Beef is not only delicious, but also rich in protein and essential amino acids, which have many benefits for the body. Children, adults, the elderly, and friends of all ages are full of praise for it.
However, stewing a good pot of beef is not an easy task. Sometimes you will find that despite following the recipe step by step, the beef is still hard and chewable, especially for those old people with bad teeth, it is simply torture!
At this time, the secret of "3 put and 2 don't put" beef stew can be used. This method not only makes the beef soft and delicious, but also makes it delicious and fragrant. Don't worry, follow my steps to make sure you can make delicious beef at home that even the elderly can easily bite into!
3 put
Put 1: Appropriate condiments
When stewing beef, choosing the right condiments is the first step to enhancing the aroma of the dish. Spices such as star anise and cinnamon are commonly used, which can enrich the flavor and aroma of beef. Before starting to simmer, sauté the star anise and cinnamon over low heat until fragrant, which will better release the aroma. Then put it in the beef, so that the cooked meat is not only fragrant, but also more flavorful.
Put 2: Enough cooking time
How soft a beef stew is depends largely on the cooking time. In general, beef needs to be simmered for at least two hours to reach a good degree of softness. Using a slow cooker or pressure cooker can reduce the time to some extent, but in any case, the heat must be low and let the beef simmer slowly over a slow fire to ensure that the meat is soft and rotten.
Put 3: Suitable condiments
The choice and addition of condiments is also extremely important. Common condiments are light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, etc., which can enhance the umami and texture of beef. During the beef stew, be sure to add it in stages: add a portion of light soy sauce to color the beef, and then add salt and dark soy sauce halfway through to adjust the taste. This step-by-step seasoning can make the beef taste more balanced and tasteful.
2. Don't let go
Don't put 1: Too much water
When stewing beef, too much water can cause the meat to be diluted, and the meat may also become rough due to a large amount of boiling for a long time. The ideal amount of water is just enough to cover the beef, allowing the beef to absorb the water slowly during the stewing process while maintaining the richness of the meat's flavor. The resulting beef is neither too dry and hard, nor too watery.
2: Simmer over high heat
Rapid simmering on high heat, although it saves time, tends to make the beef tougher and less tender. It is recommended to use a simmer method, although it will take longer, but it will gradually break down the fiber of the beef, and the finished product will be more tender. When stewing beef, you can use medium heat to heat up the soup quickly, but then reduce the heat and let the beef simmer slowly over a mild heat.
Beef stew is a process that requires patience and care, but as long as you follow the rule of "3 put and 2 don't", you can easily make a delicious beef stew. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you get the most out of everything you need to get started, from preparation to post-processing.
Preparation
Meat selection: Choose beef parts suitable for stewing, such as beef brisket, beef tendon, etc., the meat quality of these parts is relatively loose, containing an appropriate amount of meat tendons and fat, and it is more delicious and soft after stewing.
Dicing: Cut the beef into large pieces to ensure that the pieces of meat are not too small to crumble during the long simmering process.
Blanching: Put the beef pieces into a pot of cold water, add a little ginger and cooking wine, and then skim off the foam after boiling over high heat to remove blood and impurities.
Cooking process
Stir-fry spices: Stir-fry star anise, cinnamon and other spices over low heat to release the fragrance.
Cook the meat: Put the blanched beef pieces into the stir-fried spices and add just enough water to cover the meat.
Add condiments: According to the principle of "put 3", first add some light soy sauce to color the meat, and then add salt, dark soy sauce and other seasonings according to personal taste.
Slow Cooking: Reduce the heat to low and let the beef simmer slowly. Generally, it needs to be stewed for more than 2 hours, depending on the softness of the meat to decide whether it will take longer.
Seasoning: In the last half hour of the simmer, adjust the taste again, you can add some sugar or other seasonings to balance the taste.
Thickening: If you like the soup to be thick, you can use a little water starch to thicken the soup.
Garnish: Sprinkle a little chopped green onion or coriander before removing from the pan to add color and aroma.
Rest: After all the cooking steps, let the beef stew "rest" for a while, and then open the lid after about 10 minutes, so that the meat is more tender and the soup is more flavorful.
By following these detailed steps, your beef stew will be able to achieve the best soft, tender and fragrant flavor that even the elderly with poor teeth can easily enjoy. This beef stew is a rare delicacy whether it is used as a main dish for family dinners or as a special dish at festivals.