Beef is a valuable protein product and a constant source of iron. A variety of dishes are prepared from it, but it is most delicious stewed. However, to make the beef juicy and soft, you need to know some secrets.
Recipe content:
- How to stew beef properly - principles and methods of cooking
- Braised beef with onions in a pan: a classic recipe
- Braised beef with mushrooms in sour cream
- Beef stew with prunes
- Video recipes
Beef is delicious and nutritious meat. This is a real storehouse of protein, B vitamins and minerals. Of the many options for its preparation, stewing is the most convenient way. This process will make even the toughest meat soft and tasty. The time for stewing beef usually takes from 40 minutes to 2.5 hours. It depends on the age of the animal and the part of the carcass. The softest parts of beef are roast beef and fillet. Also, the most commonly used parts include the shoulder blades, neck and hip part. If you decide to cook a beef stew, the following tips and tricks will help you to make the usual dish even tastier.
How to stew beef properly - principles and methods of cooking
Despite the fact that beef is very popular, but not every housewife cooks it with pleasure. Since this type of meat is considered capricious, because not always juicy. To know how to stew beef properly so that it is soft, you need to keep in mind some secrets.
- You can distinguish young beef (veal) from an adult animal by softness, light meat, fine fibers and light fat. Old dark red beef with yellow fat.
- Always clean the meat from films and fat before cooking.
- Cut it into portions across the grain. Then it will deform less during heat treatment, it will become soft faster and it will be easier to chew.
- For stewing, it is better to cut the meat into small pieces, then in the process of prolonged heat treatment the fibers will become soft.
- To soften the beef, marinate it for 2-8 hours in milk, red wine, vinegar, lemon juice, citric acid, kefir, sour cream, etc. The acid softens tough fibers well.
- Additionally, you can soften the pieces of meat by first beating them with a kitchen hammer.
- The fibers will become soft and easily separate from each other when stewing meat over low heat for at least an hour.
- A little liquid is required for stewing meat. It should not completely cover the pieces, otherwise they will cook, not stew.
- When stewing, make sure that the liquid does not boil or boil, otherwise the meat will be tough and tasteless.
- Beef stew goes well with soy sauce, bell peppers, garlic, nutmeg, coriander, thyme, mustard, chili.
- You cannot salt the meat long before heat treatment, otherwise it will lose juices. Salt the beef half an hour before cooking. Then it will retain its color and be juicy.
- For stewing, use a rooster, clay pots, a thick-bottomed saucepan, and other heat-resistant utensils.
- The lid must be tight and free of steam.
Braised beef with onions in a pan: a classic recipe
Beef stew with onions in a pan turns out to be soft and juicy. The main thing for frying is to use a thick-bottomed pan, ideally cast iron. Then the meat will not burn, and will not dry out.
- Caloric content per 100 g - 275 kcal.
- Servings - 3
- Cooking time - 2 hours
Ingredients:
- Beef - 500 g (pulp)
- Onions - 2 pcs.
- Vegetable oil - for frying
- Sugar - 1 tsp
- Ground black pepper - a pinch
- Drinking water - 100 ml
- Salt - 1 tsp
Step by step cooking of beef stew with onions in a pan:
- Wash the beef, dry with a paper towel and cut into medium pieces.
- Sprinkle it with a mixture of salt, sugar and pepper. Stir.
- Peel the onion, rinse and chop into half rings.
- Heat vegetable oil in a skillet and add the beef. Fry it over high heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- When the meat is browned, add the onion to it and stir.
- Fry the food until the onion is soft and translucent.
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After pouring in hot water, reduce the flame, cover the pan and simmer the beef for one hour.
Braised beef with mushrooms in sour cream
Beef goes well with many products, incl. and with mushrooms. It is better to use champignons or oyster mushrooms as the last ingredient, but wild mushrooms are also suitable.
Ingredients:
- Beef - 500 g
- Champignons - 500 g
- Onion - 2 pcs.
- Vegetable oil - for frying
- Sour cream - 1 tbsp.
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Ground black pepper - a pinch
Step by step cooking of stewed beef with mushrooms in sour cream:
- Cut the washed and dried beef into pieces.
- Cover it with plastic and beat it off with a kitchen hammer.
- Place the meat in a heated skillet with vegetable oil and fry over high heat until lightly golden brown.
- Cut the champignons into 2-4 pieces and fry in oil in another pan.
- Peel and chop the onions in half rings. Add it to the mushroom skillet when excess moisture has evaporated.
- Combine roast beef with mushrooms in a large bowl.
- Pour sour cream over the products, season with salt and pepper and stir.
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Simmer over low heat after boiling for 2 hours.
Beef stew with prunes
The prune beef stew recipe comes with a slight sweetness. Such a dish can be served not only for a daily meal, but also served on a festive table.
Ingredients:
- Beef - 700 g
- Prunes - 600 g
- Vegetable oil - for frying
- Wine vinegar - 20 g
- Red wine - 50 g
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Ground black pepper - a pinch
Step by step preparation of stewed beef with prunes:
- Cut the prepared meat into medium pieces and fry in a frying pan in vegetable oil.
- Fill it with drinking water so that it covers half of the meat and simmer under a closed lid for about an hour.
- Wash the prunes, dry and cut in half.
- Add them to the beef and pour in the wine and vinegar.
- Season with salt and ground pepper and bring to a boil. Close the lid and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
Video recipes for beef stew: