Red wine beef stew with potato gratin | Bibbyskitchen recipes (2024)

FAQs

What does adding red wine to stew do? ›

Just as the red wine and tomatoes work to tenderize and flavor the beef, they'll have the same impact on mushrooms and vice versa, because the mushrooms will release their earthy, comforting flavors into the stew as they cook. Drool. About the wine. Maybe you prefer not to drink it or cook with it.

Go for a pinot noir if you like your stews light and fruity, cabernet sauvignon if you like it strong and rustic, and a merlot if you fall somewhere in between. But most importantly, use a wine that you're also happy to drink.

Add the wine and tomato paste to the onions and other aromatics in a pan before slow cooking. Plus, this helps to really deglaze any fond that's left. This ingredient is one that your mum and nan would probably use in their stews. It adds a bit of tang, sweetness and savoury spices that give an extra punch of flavour.

The Best Substitute for Red Wine

Alcohol-free red wine. Beef broth. Chicken broth. Red wine vinegar (use ½ vinegar and ½ water for similar flavor results)

When you slow-cook tough cuts of meat like beef chuck, the acid present in the wine eventually helps to break the meat down, making it more tender. Red wine in beef stew also adds depth of flavor — some of the liquid evaporates in the oven, which concentrates the flavors going on in the pot.

Mushrooms can work wonders to enhance the taste of red wine due to their umami-rich flavor. The earthier the mushrooms, the better the effect. If your wine's specific problem is a sandpapery mouthfeel, try adding red meat, as the fat and protein both help to neutralize rough tannins.

Whisk a teaspoon of flour in a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir into the stew as it's cooking. Don't add dry flour directly to the stew as it may clump. After adding the slurry, bring the stew to boil. This will cook out the flour taste and allow the starch to swell.

Yes, you can cook with old red wine. Taste it, to see how sour it is, and use it where the flavour will fit. If it's very sour, you can use it like vinegar, for salad dressing, or in sauces.

The vinegar will loosen all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and add flavor. Cook until the vegetables are softened, then add the tomato paste and cook for a minute more. Add the beef back into the pan and sprinkle with the flour.

A bit of tomato paste amps up the flavor of beef stew, giving it a richness and a punch of umami that makes the stew truly memorable.

What gives beef stew depth of flavor? ›

Aromatics. Like rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. The base of the stew also uses onion and garlic for the best depth of flavor. I prefer to use fresh herbs when I can (though I haven't been able to find a fresh bay leaf in years), but include notes in the recipe to substitute dried herbs.

Fish sauce, soy sauce, peanut butter, anchovies, Worcestershire, maggi all add extra depth. The maggi in particular amps up the meaty umami.

Simmering and Boiling

In the event that your goal is to keep moisture in—like when your pot of soup, stew, or sauce is already at the right consistency, but you want to keep cooking the vegetables and melding the flavors—leave the lid on to keep any more liquid from evaporating.

How to Substitute Tomato Sauce or Puree for Tomato Paste. You don't have to dash out to the store if you're out of tomato paste; tomato sauce and tomato puree are both an excellent substitute. For every 1 tablespoon of tomato paste needed, use 3 tablespoons of tomato puree or sauce.

Vinegar can add depth of flavour to soups, sauces, and stews. Especially great for tomato-based recipes, you can add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar towards the end of the cooking process to amplify the flavours of your other ingredients.

While too much booze will dominate a dish, the right proportion will help pull out exciting aromas and flavors. This is how wine can lend a more complex and concentrated flavor to beef stew or steamed mussels.

Adding wine to stews is not unknown. Here's the standard operating procedure used happily for many generations: fry red meat (beef or pork) until the surface is golden; add wine (red or white will do) to the ingredients, close the lid and cook on low heat for a few hours; wait, wait, wait (check your phones); finish!

The science: Alcohol does partially evaporate during cooking, but not as much as you might think. Depending on the cooking method and how much alcohol is used, anywhere from 4 to 85 percent of the alcohol may remain. After 15 minutes of cooking, about 40 percent of the alcohol remains.

Wine is basically an acid ingredient (which helps tenderize the outside of the meat) and it has a lot of flavor. The wine-based marinade helps keep meat, poultry, or seafood moist while it cooks, too.