Beef stew is one of the most comforting dinners that many of us begin to crave in autumn, but it can taste flat and greasy if you are not using the right ingredients. This is an incredibly meaty dish, which can make beef stew really heavy and fatty unless you flavour it properly to cut through the richness.
Luckily Ashley Fehr, a cook and founder of The Recipe Rebel has revealed there is a very easy way to make beef stew a lot tastier as you just need a little balsamic vinegar. Ashley said: “The flavour in this stew is downright mouthwatering. Tangy flavour from the balsamic vinegar and natural sweetness from the honey come together perfectly with other flavourful additions like Worcestershire sauce, garlic and more.”
Balsamic vinegar is acidic which helps balance out some of the more overpowering ingredients like tomatoes, which can be very sweet, so you can taste the other ingredients.
It also brings out the natural depth in the vegetables and meat, making the whole stew a lot more flavourful.
Adding just a little balsamic vinegar will also help soften the meat so it becomes really tender and will melt in your mouth once you are ready to serve it.
Using balsamic vinegar is a simple way to make beef stew better without much effort as it will deepen the flavour, improve the texture and adds a umami boost to the broth.
How to make a simple yet tasty beef stew
You will need:
- 450 baby potatoes (halved)
- 450g of round steak (cut into chunks)
- Three large carrots (chopped)
- One celery (chopped)
Half a medium onion (chopped) - Three cloves of garlic (minced)
- 240ml of beef stock
- 80ml of balsamic vinegar
- Two tablespoons of honey
- Two tablespoons of tomato purée
- Two tablespoons of cornflour
- One tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and paper
Method:
If you are using a slow cooker: Add the beef, potatoes, carrots, celery and onions to your cooker.
Then, in a big bowl mix together the broth, balsamic vinegar, honey, tomato puree, cornflour, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic.
Season with salt and pepper and then add the broth mixture to the slow cooker.
Place a lid on the slow cooker, set it to low, and let it cook for six to eight hours until the potatoes feel tender. Your beef stew will then be ready to serve.
If you are using a pot on the stove: Heat one tablespoon of oil in a big pot, and place on a medium-high heat. Add your stew and let it sear until completely brown on all sides, Next, take the beef out of the pot, set it aside, and reduce the heat to medium.
Add the celery, onions and minced garlic, then cook for three minutes until completely soft. Mix in the carrots, potatoes and also add the browned beef back into the pot.
In a big bowl, add the beef stock, balsamic vinegar, honey, tomato puree, cornflour and Worcestershire sauce. Give it a good mix, then season with salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture into the pot, bring the stew to a gentle boil and then reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid and let it cook for two hours until the potatoes are soft, then your tasty beef is ready to eat.
