Tips for stewing and braising meat

Tips for stewing and braising yummy meat. 

When we talk about stewing or braising meat, doubts always arise.

Many of you send me your queries by mail and I incorporate them into this Galician recipe book so that you get a perfect stewed meat.

The other question is whether stewing is the same as stewing. Without complicating ourselves much we can say a stew is a stew while a stew is not always a stew .

When estofamos are cooking slowly and with little normally liquid in a pan with the lid on, because we want to concentrate flavors and they do not escape from the pan.

When we cook we can include from the same stew, a stew, the traditional stew, the raguts, … we could even put the soup in the bag. So a stew is much more complex and it will be delicious by following these simple tips that I present below.

1. Sealing the beef or pork well is usually essential for a yummy stew. Cut the pieces of meat into cubes, delicately pass them by flour and then fry them in the pan on each side, for about 3 to 5 minutes, until they have a crispy crust or crust. Also reserve the juice that comes out of this cooking for the stew. If the piece is whole, you can do the same, with or without flour. But always, seal the meat before stewing.
2. Cook very slowly. It is true that all these types of stews take time, and that it is necessary to treat them with care and without haste to achieve the desired result. But we can complicate ourselves in its initial process or not. The trick of these types of recipes is to work slowly, on a slow fire as always. A good stew requires hours of cooking and low heat. This will help to achieve a more tender meat, since it gives the meat collagen time to melt, which is what keeps it elastic.
3. The express pot is not a sin. It is preferable to cook it in a traditional pot or casserole and if we opt for the express pot, it must be borne in mind that not all ingredients have the same cooking point. My advice if you do not have that time is to prepare it first in the express pot and the final touch, give it in the traditional casserole.

1. Choose quality meat. In addition to respecting cooking times, the key to getting a stew to our liking is also in the chosen meat. I usually cook with a  veal needle . This piece is located next to the high back, between the two shoulders. It is an especially juicy part, ideal for stews and stews. But what is the best meat for a stew? The most common is usually the veal and I recommend that in addition to the needle you have other parts such as the front round or fish, the Fin, the Chest, the Llana, the Brazuelo and the zancarrón.
2. The base broth. If we want to give a plus to the stew, we can substitute the water or white wine for a homemade broth, be it chicken, vegetable or meat broth, if we have a broth at home, it is the perfect time to use it. The result will be even better if possible.
3. Add acidity at the end . Unlike when we marinate a meat, where the acidity of the vinegar or wine helps it to become soft, in a long cooking such as stew, these ingredients can delay this process. So the best thing is to add these ingredients that provide acidity almost at the end of cooking, along with other ingredients that cook quickly.
4. Better overnight . These stews and stews tend to spread a lot, and I don’t tell you anything about the sauces that you get. Surely you will take it smearing bread in it. Like most casseroles, the dish improves from one day to the next, so this recipe has the convenience of being able to be prepared the day before.
5. With what to accompany or stew? The garnish . Some of the most common options are diced potato chips, stir-fried pepper strips or roasted peppers, sauteed mushrooms, or white rice. Keep in mind that the garnish must give the last boil to the stew before being served
6. Yes, freeze, a great option . If you are going to prepare more and want to freeze, it is better to prepare this stew as is. When we take it out of the freezer to take to the tupper to work, for example, we prepare some white rice that will be pearlized. A perfect accompaniment to this stew.