Any Way You Like It Stew

I'm calling this "Any Way You Like It Stew" because this recipe is so, so versatile! You can literally take the basic recipe and use it for ANY meat (beef, lamb, chicken, rabbit, duck, goat, venison, you name it - even the cheapest cuts work great) and you can cook it ANY way you like - in a pot on the stove, in a slow cooker, or in the oven! You can also add any veges you like to it, make it gluten free if you wish, and serve it with many different side dishes. Once you know how to make this, you really can have it any way you like it!

I found some cheap blade steak bought on special weeks ago hiding in the freezer, so made this yummy dinner.

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Basic Stew/Casserole Recipe

Ingredients:
2 onions, diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed (optional)
1 kg (2 lbs) meat of choice, cut into cubes (I used beef this time).
2-3 carrots, diced
2-3 stalks celery, diced
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp salt
2 tsp organic soy sauce (beef stock powder may be used instead)
600 mls (1 pint) boiling water
Cornflour or similar to thicken (see variations below)

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Method:
Meat may be browned with onions and garlic before assembling, but I only do this when cooking in pot on stove, and occasionally if I'm cooking it in the oven. Otherwise, I assemble all ingredients raw and then cook together in oven or crockpot.

Place ingredients in order given into crock pot or oven proof dish and stir to combine. Cook in crockpot on auto or low for approx. 6-7 hours, or in covered dish in oven at 180C (350 F) for 1.5 hours. Stir 2-3 times during cooking.

The photo to right shows assembled ingredients before cooking. The picture above shows it after cooking.

If cooking in pot on stove, brown meat with onion and garlic, then add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, cover, and simmer on low for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

Thicken before serving. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice and green vegetables. Serves 6-8

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Stew Variations

• When I first used this recipe, many years ago, I used to add flour at the beginning of the assembly process to produce a nice gravy at the end, but I learned over time that cooking it without the flour means you don't get any bits burning at the edges, and the dish stays a lot cleaner. It is also easier to thicken it just the right amount at the end. However, if you wish to include flour at the beginning, place meat, onion and garlic in dish, add 1/2 cup flour and stir to coat everything, then add rest of ingredients and proceed as
  above. These days I thicken at the end with a cornflour/water mixture, or with rice flour/water.
• If using a gamey meat to make this dish - such as venison or duck - add 2 TBSP of vinegar to the mix -
  this will tenderise the meat and completely eliminate any gamey flavour!
• You can add any veges you like to this dish. For a long time, we couldn't use onions because of my daughter's food allergies, and so I used leek instead of onion. I often add diced pumpkin or
  kumera (sweet potato) to it, and my kids love it if I add hunks of potato to the dish as it comes out flavoured beautifully by the meat liquid. Play around and discover your own combinations!
• You may have noticed that I use organic soy sauce in a many dishes, and never bouillon
  products. This is because stock powders and bouillon products are loaded with MSG and other nasties, and I will not use them. Soy sauce acts as a natural flavour enhancer and adds that "beef stock" taste but is safer. Soy is naturally high in glutamates, so may not be suitable for those with glutamate sensitivities, but my daughter, who is allergic to MSG and most glutamates can tolerate it in small amounts. Use organic soy sauce and read labels to avoid nasty additives. Another alternative is to make your own stocks and use those in recipes, which I do for several dishes.
• Other cuts of meat may also be used - such as mutton neck chops. I often look for the cheapest stewing beef, or use meat from animals we butcher that is from the less-than-terrific cuts. When using neck chops, leave them whole rather than trying to cube them. Once they are cooked in this recipe, the meat will be fall-off-the-bone and melt-in-your-mouth tender!