A cook has shared a simple method to make beef stew thicker and tastier, and it is all down to one ingredient that you can add to the pot to make the gravy more satisfying
Autumn marks the perfect season for preparing hearty British dishes that provide warmth during the bitter cold months, with beef stew being particularly straightforward to create provided you properly thicken the gravy.
Adding plenty of vegetables to your beef stew is crucial for enhancing the taste, though they release considerable moisture whilst cooking, which can result in disappointingly thin gravy.
Nevertheless, Hayley Ryczek, a chef and creator of Health Starts in the Kitchen, has revealed that creating a thicker beef stew is straightforward provided you incorporate a starch such as cornflour.
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Hayley explained: “Nothing is worse than a too-thin beef stew with too much liquid. Thickening a beef stew is very easy; in a small bowl simply combine equal parts of starch with cold water, mixing until smooth. Starches like cornstarch, arrowroot and potato starch are wonderful and gluten-free thickener options that are so delicious and easy.”
Cornflour, Britain’s equivalent to cornstarch, serves as a thickening ingredient and will absorb the surplus moisture from the vegetables whilst preserving the original taste, reports the Express.
This technique helps create a more luxurious and satisfying consistency whilst adding a glossy finish, ensuring your beef stew appears far more appealing.
Simply one tablespoon of cornflour provides sufficient thickening to coat the meat and vegetables properly, guaranteeing each mouthful delivers maximum flavour.
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How to make a thicker and tastier beef stew in autumn
You will need
- 450g of beef stew meat
- Four medium potatoes (chopped)
- Four medium carrots (chopped)
- Four sticks of celery (chopped)
- Four cloves of garlic (minced)
- Two medium onions (chopped)
- Two bay leaves
- Half a tsp of dried thyme
- One tbsp of tomato purée
- One tbsp of Worcestershire sauce
- 240ml of dry red wine
- 950ml of beef stock
- 30g of plain flour
- Salt and pepper
- One tbsp of cornflour
- 60ml of neutral cooking oil (like vegetable, avocado or sunflower oil)
Instructions
To start, pop the cornflour and a bit of pepper into a bowl. Add the beef and give it a good toss to ensure it’s fully coated. Next, pour three tablespoons of oil into a large cooking pot, then add the beef chunks. Make sure each piece has room to sit at the bottom of the pot, so it doesn’t get too crowded.
Fry the beef for five minutes until it’s browned on all sides. Then, take the beef pieces out of the pot and set them aside for a bit. Chuck in the onions, celery and carrots to the pot. Cook for three minutes until the onions and celery are soft enough to poke with a fork, then season with salt and pepper.
Add the garlic then let it cook for another two to three minutes. If you need more oil to cook the veggies, go ahead and add some, and once they’re done, pour in the wine and tomato purée.
Let the stew simmer for about five minutes until the liquid has reduced, then chuck the beef back into the pot along with the beef stock and bay leaves.
Turn down the heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, then leave the stew to bubble away for one and a half hours. When the time’s up, add the potatoes and continue to let it cook until they’ve softened for roughly 20 more minutes.
You can thicken up the beef stew by mixing equal parts cornflour and cold water in a bowl. Pour a small amount in at a time, place on a medium-low-heat, and let the stew boil for two minutes.
The beef stew should have a rich and savoury taste with a thick velvety gravy, and will be so flavourful that you’ll want to keep making it throughout the rest of autumn.