Most old-fashioned stews took at least a few hours to prepare. These days, that`s not always necessary. Stewing–cooking with liquid in a closed pot–was made for tough cuts of meat; those long hours of simmering literally broke down the meat`s fibers.
Now that animals are being bred with an eye toward leaner, more tender meat, today`s stews don`t have to be cooked quite so long, or even made with meat.
While beef and stew once went together like ham and eggs, they needn`t be synonymous any longer. There are lots of other ingredients that make wonderful stews, vegetarian combinations among them.
Today`s stews are lighter, more brilliantly herbed and spiced than stews of the past. We`ve come a long way since we settled for sprinkling a half-teaspoon of a mysterious, dried ”Italian herb” combination into the pot.
We now know that tarragon is a wonderful flavor when combined with chicken; that a little orange peel will go a long way in pepping up a beef stew; that coriander is dynamite with pork; and that parsley tones down the smokiness of ham.
Today`s stews are unabashedly ethnic in origin, too. There are the chile- tinged combinations of Mexico, the lemon-lamb melanges of Greece, the sausage- black bean pots of South America and the many meated bigos of Poland.
Here are some up-to-date ways to satisfy that craving for stew.
POTATO AND MUSHROOM STEW WITH SOUR CREAM
Four serving
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
2 pounds potatoes
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 to 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms
4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
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2 cups vegetable stock
Sea salt
Black pepper
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1. Peel potatoes and cut them into even-sized chunks; peel and chop onion; peel and crush garlic; wash mushrooms and cut into halves or quarters. Heat oil in large saucepan and saute onion for about 5 minutes or until golden; stir in garlic, potatoes, paprika and flour and cook for another minute or two.
2. Add stock and heat to boil. Cover saucepan and leave over gentle heat for about 20 minutes, until potatoes are very nearly tender; then add mushrooms and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Put sour cream or yogurt into small bowl and gradually add to it a ladleful of liquid from saucepan; mix well. Slowly pour this into saucepan and heat gently until mixture is hot. Do not boil or soup will curdle. Serve immediately.
SAUSAGE, BLACK BEAN AND VEGETABLE STEW
Six to eight servings
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
1 pound Italian sausages, hot or sweet or both
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium green peppers, coarsely chopped
2 medium red onions, cut in 1/4-inch rings
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium zucchini, cut in 1/4-inch slices
2 cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped, or 1 can (16 ounces) Italian tomatoes, undrained, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1 teaspoon oregano
2 cans (16 ounces each) black beans, drained
1. Choose a deep heavy skillet, saute pan or wide casserole for this, one with enough room to accommodate vegetables before they shrink with cooking.
2. Pierce sausages and put them in with 1/2 inch of water. Cook until water evaporates and then until sausages brown. Set aside on paper towel to drain.
3. Pour off all but a film of fat from cooking sausages and add the olive oil. Add green peppers, onions, garlic and zucchini, and stir over medium heat until vegetables are tender.
4. Add tomatoes and seasonings. Bring to simmer. Cut sausages into 1-inch pieces and stir gently, with beans, into vegetables. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Cook until heated through.
MICROWAVE BEEF STEW WITH DILL DUMPLINGS
Four to six servings
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Microwaving time: 2 hours
2 cups water
2 pounds beef chuck, cut into half-inch cubes
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
2 large potatoes, pared and cut into half-inch cubes
2 carrots, cut into quarter-inch pieces
2 celery stalks, cut into half-inch pieces
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2 onions, sliced
Dill dumplings, recipe follows
1. Place water in 3-quart casserole. Cover with tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on high (100 percent) power for 5 to 6 minutes or until boiling.
2. Add meat, beef bouillon, bay leaf and salt. Cover.
3. Microwave on medium (50 percent) power for 1 hour and 20 minutes or until meat is tender. Stir twice during cooking.
4. Add vegetables. Cover. Microwave on high for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
DILL DUMPLINGS
Four to six servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Microwaving time: 6 minutes
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dill
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1. Mix together dry ingredients. Stir in milk and oil just until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop by tablespoons into hot stew. Cover with tight-fitting lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on high (100 percent) power for 5 to 6 minutes.