How do I make a stew that is actually good?

The cut, the browning and the very low simmer that turn cheap meat into something tender and deeply flavoured.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 3 hr
Read: 2 min

Short answer

Use a cheap, tough cut with plenty of connective tissue, brown it properly in batches, and cook it at a bare simmer for two to three hours. Lean expensive cuts make bad stew — the collagen is the point.

Stewing converts collagen into gelatine, which needs time at a low temperature. That is why shin, chuck and shoulder make superb stew and why fillet steak makes a disappointing one. It also means a boiling stew is a failed stew.

What you'll need

Tough cut of meat
Heavy casserole with a lid
Stock
Onions and root vegetables
Flour (optional)

Step by step

Choose a tough, collagen-rich cut.Beef shin, chuck or brisket; lamb shoulder or neck; pork shoulder. These are cheaper and produce far better results than lean cuts.
Cut into large chunks, around 4-5cm.Small pieces disintegrate over a long cook. Larger pieces stay recognisable and stay moist.
Dry the meat and brown it hard, in batches.This is where most of the flavour comes from. A crowded pan steams the meat grey and the finished stew tastes noticeably thinner.
Soften the onions in the same pan and deglaze.The fond from browning is the best flavour in the dish. A splash of wine, stock or water lifts it into the stew.
Add just enough liquid to almost cover.Not to submerge. Too much liquid gives soup, and the flavour is diluted rather than concentrated.
Bring to a bare simmer, then cook very low.The occasional bubble, nothing more. A boiling stew makes meat tough and stringy — this is counter-intuitive and important.
Cook for two to three hours, covered.In a low oven at 150°C is easier and more even than on a hob. It is done when the meat gives with no resistance to a fork.
Add quick vegetables in the last 30-40 minutes.Carrots and potatoes go in partway; peas and greens right at the end. Everything added at the start will be mush.

Tips

Stew is better the next day, without exception. Making it a day ahead is genuinely a technique rather than a compromise.
If the sauce is thin at the end, remove the meat and reduce it hard. That concentrates flavour as well as thickening.
A strip of orange peel, a few anchovies or a spoon of marmite each add depth that nobody will identify as itself.

Common mistakes

Using an expensive lean cut — There is no collagen to break down, so the meat just dries out and toughens. Cheap tough cuts are correct here.
Boiling rather than simmering — High heat makes the muscle fibres contract and squeeze out moisture, giving tough stringy meat despite long cooking.
Adding all the vegetables at the start — Three hours reduces them to mush. Add them in stages according to how long each needs.

Questions people ask

Why is my stew meat tough after hours of cooking?

Either it was boiled rather than simmered, or it needs longer. Tough cuts get tougher before they get tender — pushing through to two or three hours at a bare simmer is what breaks the collagen down.

What is the best meat for stew?

Cheap, tough, collagen-rich cuts: beef shin, chuck or brisket, lamb shoulder or neck, pork shoulder. Lean cuts have nothing to break down and dry out instead.