STEW BASICS

GOOD STEW IS HARD TO BEAT. WHEN successful, stew is one of those dishes that is more than the sum of its parts. Slow, long cooking transforms proteins, vegetables, and liquids into a hearty, rugged dish that is satisfying and intensely flavored.

So what exactly is stew and how does it differ from soup or a braise? There is some disagreement in the food world, but for our purposes a stew is small chunks of meat, chicken, seafood, and/or vegetables cooked in liquid, which is usually thickened and served as a sauce. A stew is a one-dish meal that can be eaten with a fork and without a knife.

Soup may contain the same ingredients (small bits of protein and vegetables in a liquid base), but it contains much more liquid than a stew and the liquid is generally not thickened. Soup is eaten with a spoon.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is a braise, which usually contains less liquid than a stew and the protein and vegetables are cut into much larger pieces or even left whole, as in a pot roast. The meat in a braise often contains bones (stews are usually boneless) and the vegetables are more for flavoring the meat and juices than for eating. Finally, a braise is eaten with a fork but usually requires a knife as well.

Stews and braises do have a number of elements in common—the aromatic vegetables (as well as the meat and chicken) are usually browned and the cooking temperature must be low. Browning is important because it develops flavor. The sugars in the vegetables (and the meat and chicken) caramelize in a process known as the Maillard reaction. Deglazing the pan with wine or stock loosens flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan, which in turn dissolve and flavor the stew liquid.

Contrary to popular belief, browning does not seal in juices in stew meat. As the internal temperature of the meat rises, more and more juices are expelled. By the time the meat is fork-tender, it has shed most of its juices. As odd it sounds, this is the beauty of a stew or braise because the surrounding liquid, which will be served as a sauce, is enriched by these juices.

Stew meat remains edible because slow-cooking turns the collagen and connective tissue found in tough cuts of meat, such as the beef shoulder or chicken thighs, into gelatin. This gelatin makes meat tender; it also helps thicken the stew liquid. The same thing happens when these tough cuts are barbecued or slow-roasted. Prolonged low-temperature cooking allows the connective tissue to break down and makes the meat tender.

The main difference between slow-roasting and stewing is that in stewing the exterior of the meat is less likely to dry out and overcook in the liquid. That's because the temperature of the stewing or braising liquid cannot exceed 212 degrees, or the boiling point. This ceiling limits the rate at which the meat can cook.

In our testing, we found that the temperature of the stewing liquid is crucial when certain ingredients are stewed. We found it is essential to keep the temperature of the liquid below 212 degrees when stewing meat or chicken. If either is boiled, it stays tough and the outside becomes especially dry. Keeping the liquid at a simmer (rather than a boil) allows the internal temperature of the meat to rise slowly. By the time it is actually fork-tender, much of the collagen will have turned to gelatin.

We have found that putting a covered Dutch oven in a 250-degree oven ensures that the temperature of the stewing liquid will remain below the boiling point, at about 200 degrees. (Ovens are not totally effective at transferring heat; a temperature of 250 degrees recognizes that some heat will be lost as it penetrates through the pot and into the stew.)

The temperature of the liquid is crucial when making fish stew, but for a different reason. Since fish is so delicate and cooks so quickly, it is added to stews just before serving. (The deep seafood flavor comes from the stock, not the fish itself used in the stew.) We find it best to cook the fish for a few minutes in the liquid, then turn off the burner and cover the pot. The fish finishes cooking in the residual heat and is less likely to become dry or fall apart.

When making vegetable stews, temperature is not nearly as important since the main goal is to soften the vegetables to an appealing texture. You don't want to boil a vegetable stew so furiously that the vegetables fall apart. A brisk simmer is fine for all-vegetable stews.

INGREDIENTS FOR MAKING STEW

The meat, chicken, seafood, and/or vegetables are the most important ingredients in any stew. Buying the right cuts and preparing them for stewing are discussed in the appropriate chapters.

In addition to the "main ingredients," there are a number of supporting ingredients that appear again and again in recipes throughout this book. These ingredients are the basis for the sauce that surrounds the main stew ingredients. In particular, we find the choice of canned broth, canned tomatoes, and wine to be important when making a stew.

BROTH Homemade stock makes delicious stews. However, with the exception of fish stews, we find that canned products will work quite well and they greatly simplify the process. (Fish stew can be made with doctored-up bottled clam juice, with some sacrifice in flavor.) There is no reason not to use homemade stock if you have some on hand, but beef, chicken, lamb, pork, and vegetable stews will taste just fine if made with a carefully selected canned broth.

You might think that meat stews, especially those with beef, would taste better when made with canned beef broth. However, canned beef broths simply do not deliver full-bodied, beefy flavor. We tested 11 commercial beef broths and bouillon cubes. Some had a subtle suggestion of beef, but most begged the question, "Where's the beef?"

Current government regulations require that beef broth need only contain 1 part protein to 135 parts moisture. That translates to less than one ounce of meat to flavor a gallon of water. Most manufacturers use salt, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and yeast-based hydrolyzed soy protein to give this watery concoction some flavor and mouthfeel. Does any canned beef broth or powdered beef bouillon cube taste like the real thing? Our panel shouted a resounding no.

By comparison, canned chicken broths are far superior. While they rarely taste like homemade stock, several of the 11 brands that we tested had some decent chicken flavor. In stews, even those made with beef, we found that canned chicken broth is superior to canned beef broth. So which canned broths do we recommend? In our tasting, reduced-sodium and low-sodium broths made by Campbell's and Swanson (both brands are owned by the same company) topped the list.

TOMATOES Chopped tomatoes are used in many stews in place of wine to add an acidic element, color, and flavor. We find that canned tomatoes are easier to work with than fresh (which would have to be peeled before chopping) and their flavor is usually better. If you have some very good ripe tomatoes on hand and don't mind peeling them, go ahead and use them. However, canned tomatoes are fine for every recipe in this book.

Our favorite canned tomato product is Muir Glen Diced Tomatoes. These tomatoes are convenient to use, since they have already been chopped, and the flavor is especially fresh and bright with a good balance of sweet and acid flavors. Whole canned tomatoes can be used as well. Simply remove the tomatoes from their liquid, chop, and measure. When buying canned whole tomatoes, we recommend choosing brands packed in tomato juice, not tomato puree. The puree gives the tomato a cooked flavor that we don't generally like. In our testing of leading brands, Muir Glen and Progresso whole tomatoes came out on top.

WINE We found in our testing that the quality of the wine used in a stew matters. "Cooking wine"—the dreadful, usually oxidized stuff sold in supermarkets—does not cut it when it comes to a stew that relies on wine for much of its flavor. However, there is no reason to overcompensate. Pouring a $30 bottle of good burgundy or Cabernet Sauvignon into the pot is not advisable either. We found that as long as the wine tastes good enough to drink, it will make delicious stew. Therefore, we recommend inexpensive, young wines in the $7 to $9 range when making stew. In general, fruity reds such as Chianti, zinfandel, young cabernets from California, and many of the hearty wines from southern France are best in stew. As for white wines, avoid those which are very dry or heavily oaked. A crisp, fruity Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Blanc, or a young Chardonnay is ideal.

EQUIPMENT FOR MAKING STEW

Other than some spoons and ladles, stew making doesn't require much in the way of equipment. Of course, you need a cutting board and some knives to chop ingredients, but otherwise the focus is on the pot.

We found that a Dutch oven (also called a lidded casserole) is almost essential for making a stew. You can try to use a large pasta pot or soup kettle, but these pots are probably too narrow and tall. Also, many are quite light, thin, and cheap—designed to heat up water quickly but not meant for browning. Since most stew recipes begin by browning to develop flavor, it's imperative to use a pot with a heavy bottom.

A Dutch oven (see figure 1) is nothing more than a wide, deep pot with a cover. It was originally manufactured with "ears" on the side (small, round tabs used to pick up the pot) and a top that had a lip around the edge. The latter design element was important because a Dutch oven was heated through coals placed both underneath and on top of the pot. The lip kept the coals on the lid from falling off. One could bake biscuits, cobblers, beans, and stews in this pot. It was, in the full sense of the word, an oven. This oven was a key feature of chuck wagons and essential in many American homes where all cooking occurred in the fireplace. As for the word "Dutch," it seems that the best cast iron came from Holland and the pots were therefore referred to as Dutch ovens.

Now that everyone in America has an oven, the Dutch oven is no longer used to bake biscuits or cobblers. However, it is essential for dishes that start on top of the stove and finish in the oven, like stew. In order to make some recommendations about buying a modern Dutch oven, we tested 12 models made by leading cookware companies.

In our testing, we found that a Dutch oven should have a capacity of at least six quarts to be useful. (Eight quarts is even better.) As we cooked in the pots, we came to prefer wider and shallower Dutch ovens because they make it easier to check the progress of the cooking. They also offer more bottom surface to accommodate larger batches of meat for browning. This reduces the number of batches required to brown a given quantity of meat, and with it, the chances of burning the flavorful pan drippings. Ideally, a Dutch oven should have a diameter twice as wide as its height.

We also preferred pots with a light-colored interior finish, such as stainless steel or enameled cast iron. It is easier to judge the caramelization of the drippings at a glance in these pots. Dark finishes can mask the color of the drippings, which may burn before you realize it. Our favorite pot is the eight-quart All-Clad Stainless Stockpot (despite the name, this pot is a Dutch oven). The seven-quart Le Creuset Round French Oven, which is made of enameled cast-iron, also tested well. These pots are quite expensive, costing at least $150, even when on sale. The seven-quart Lodge Dutch Oven is made from cast-iron. It is extremely heavy (making it a bit hard to maneuver) and it must be seasoned regularly. The dark interior finish is also not ideal. But is browns ingredients quite well and costs just $45.