https://www.spendwithpennies.com/beef-stew-recipe/REFRESHING BEEF STEW RECIPE
This beef stew that I am about to teach you
It is the dish that made my name in this business
It is the dish that people request when they book me
It is the dish that paid my rent and fed my family
So when I tell you that this stew is special to me
I really mean it
Where I Learned Everything I Know
I learned to cook from my mother
She was not a chef or a caterer or anything fancy
She was just a woman who cooked for her family every single day
But she cooked like her life depended on it
She cooked like she was trying to prove something
She cooked like she wanted us to remember her through her food
And I do remember her
I remember her standing over that fire at 4am
I remember her grinding peppers on that stone
I remember her pounding yam in that mortar
I remember her tasting things and adjusting things and never complaining
She taught me everything I know
She taught me how to season meat
She taught me how to know when oil is hot enough
She taught me how to taste a stew and know what it needs
She taught me that food is not just about filling your stomach
It is about making people feel something
It is about showing people that you care about them
One day I was sitting in the kitchen watching her cook beef stew
She was browning the meat
She was taking her time with each piece
She was letting each one get that dark brown crust
I asked her why she was taking so long
She looked at me and said
If you rush this you will taste the rush in the final pot
Good food takes time
Good food cannot be rushed
I did not understand what she meant then
I was just a child
I thought she was being slow for no reason
But I understand now
I understand everything now
I understand that she was right about everything
I understand that good food takes time and patience and attention
I understand that you cannot force flavor to develop
You have to let it happen naturally
The Day I Learned the Hard Way
Let me tell you about the worst day of my cooking life
The day I failed so badly that I almost quit altogether
The day I learned the hardest lesson of all
I was 24 years old
I had just started my catering business
I had no experience
I had no clients
I had no idea what I was doing
But I had a dream and a pot and a lot of hope
This woman called me
Her name was Mrs. Okafor
She was having a birthday party for her husband
He was turning 50
She wanted to do something special
She wanted to invite 30 people
She wanted to feed them good food
I told her I could do it
I told her I was a caterer
I told her my food was good
I told her everything she wanted to hear
I did not tell her I had never cooked for 30 people before
I did not tell her I was nervous
I did not tell her I had no idea what I was doing
I just said yes
I went to the market the day before
I spent all my money
Every last kobo
I bought the best meat
I bought the best tomatoes
I bought the best onions
I bought the best everything
I wanted to impress her
The day of the party I started cooking at 5am
I was in the kitchen before the sun came up
I was cutting meat
I was blending tomatoes
I was organizing my ingredients
I was ready
Or so I thought
But I was nervous
So nervous that my hands were shaking
My heart was pounding
My mind was racing
And because I was nervous I rushed
I rushed everything
I did not brown the meat properly
I just threw it in the pot
I added the potatoes at the beginning
I thought they would get soft
I added too much water
I thought the stew would reduce
I cut every corner I could find
By the time I was done the meat was tough
You could chew it for hours and it would not break down
The potatoes had dissolved into nothing
They had become part of the broth making it cloudy
The broth was watery and thin
It had no body
The color was pale and sad
It looked like something you would feed to a sick person
I tasted it
It was okay
Not great
Just okay
I told myself it would be fine
I told myself people would not notice
I told myself I was overthinking it
I was wrong
People noticed
They noticed everything
They noticed the tough meat
They noticed the watery broth
They noticed the missing flavor
They did not say anything
They were polite
They smiled and they ate
But I could see it in their faces
I could see the disappointment
Mrs Okafor called me the next day
She was polite
She thanked me
She said everyone enjoyed the food
But I could hear it in her voice
She was disappointed
She expected more and she got less
She paid me
But I knew she would never call me again
That night I sat in my kitchen and I cried
I cried because I had failed
I cried because I had let her down
I cried because I had let myself down
I cried because I knew I could have done better
I knew I had cut corners
I knew I had rushed
I knew I had not given the stew the respect it deserved
But that night I also made a promise to myself
A promise that would change everything
I promised that from that day on every single time I cooked
I would do it properly
I would take my time
I would pay attention to every detail
I would taste and adjust and taste again
I would not rush
I would not cut corners
I would cook like my mother taught me
With my heart and my hands and my full attention
Now Let Me Show You How I Do It
Going To The Market
I go to the market early in the morning
Before the sun gets too hot
Before the place gets too crowded
Before the meat starts to warm up
I go when the butchers are just setting up their stalls
And the meat is still fresh from the abattoir
My butcher’s name is Suleiman
He has been selling meat at that market for over 20 years
He knows me
He knows what I like
When he sees me coming he waves
He knows I am here for the good stuff
I tell him I want beef shoulder
He knows what that means
He brings out the big pieces
The ones with the fat
The ones with the white connective tissue
The ones that will melt down and make the stew thick and silky
I buy 2kg
Sometimes 3kg
I do not buy less
I do not buy small quantities
Because if the stew is good people will come back for more
And I want to have enough for everyone
I want to have leftovers for the next day
Because stew tastes better the next day
I want to be able to freeze some for later
When I do not feel like cooking
I do not buy lean meat
I never buy lean meat
Lean meat is for people who do not understand stew
Stew needs fat
Fat is flavor
Fat is what makes the stew rich and satisfying
Fat is what makes the meat tender and moist
Fat is what makes the broth silky and smooth
If you use lean meat you will end up with dry tough sad stew
Cutting The Meat
I do not let Suleiman cut the meat for me
I cut it myself
I take it home and I cut it myself
I want to control the size
I want to control the shape
I want to make sure every piece is perfect
I cut it into big chunks
Not small pieces
Big chunks
The kind of chunks that look like they can feed a man
The kind of chunks that make you feel like you are eating something substantial
Why big chunks
Because meat shrinks as it cooks
If you cut it small it will shrink into tiny pieces
Tiny pieces that get lost in the stew
Tiny pieces that nobody notices
You want big chunks so that when people put their spoon in
They get a piece of meat that is satisfying
I cut against the grain
You know what that means
It means I cut across the muscle fibers
Not with them
If you cut with the grain the meat will be tough
If you cut against the grain the meat will be tender
It is a small thing but it makes a big difference
The Parboil
Now I put the meat in a pot
A big pot
A pot that can hold everything
I add water
I add one onion cut in half
I add salt
I add one Maggi cube
I add one teaspoon of black pepper
I add one teaspoon of dried thyme if I have it
I put it on the fire
I let it boil for 20 minutes
Just 20 minutes
Not too long
Not too short
Just enough to start the cooking process
Why do I parboil
Let me explain this properly
Nigerian beef is tough
Our cows work hard
They walk long distances every day
They have muscles that have been used and used and used
Those muscles are tough
You cannot just put raw Nigerian beef in a pot and expect it to be soft in an hour
It will not happen
It will take three hours
Maybe four
And that is a lot of gas and a lot of time
So I parboil
It is not cheating
It is being smart
It is understanding the meat you are working with
It is adapting your technique to the ingredients you have
After 20 minutes I take out the meat
I put it in a bowl
I let it cool down
While it is cooling I take the water from the pot
And I pour it into a separate bowl
I do not throw that water away
That water is gold
That water is your broth
It has all the meat flavor
It has the onion flavor
It has the seasoning flavor
It has everything you need to make a rich and flavorful stew
Now I pat the meat dry
I use a clean cloth
I pat every single piece
I want it as dry as possible
Because wet meat does not brown
Wet meat steams
Steamed meat is grey
Grey meat has no flavor
The Searing
This is the most important step
This is where you build the flavor
This is where you separate good stew from average stew
I put my pot on the fire
High heat
Very high heat
I pour in oil
I use groundnut oil
It is what I have
It is what I use
It works
It has a high smoke point so it does not burn easily
I wait until the oil is hot
How do I know when the oil is hot
I drop a small piece of onion in
If it sizzles immediately the oil is ready
If it just sits there the oil is not ready
If it burns immediately the oil is too hot
Now I add the meat
But not all of it
Just a few pieces
Just enough to cover the bottom of the pot without touching each other
Why do I not crowd the pot
Because when you add too much meat the oil cools down
The temperature drops
And instead of frying the meat starts boiling in its own juice
Boiling meat is grey
Grey meat has no flavor
I leave the meat in the oil for 2 to 3 minutes
I do not touch it
I do not move it
I let it form that brown crust
That crust is called the Maillard reaction
I do not know the science behind it
I just know it tastes good
When one side is brown I turn it
I brown the other side
I let it sit for another 2 to 3 minutes
I want both sides brown
I want all sides brown
I want it dark and crusty and beautiful
When both sides are brown I take it out
I put it on a plate
I set it aside
I do this until all the meat is brown
It takes time and it takes patience
But it is worth it
The Onion
After the meat is out I reduce the heat to medium
I do not want high heat anymore
I want gentle heat
In the same oil
The oil with all the meat flavor
The oil with all those brown bits stuck to the bottom
I fry my onions
I use one big onion
One big yellow onion
I chop it small
Not too small
Just small enough to cook down
I put it in the oil
I let it fry
I let it soften
It takes about 4 minutes
I stir it occasionally so it does not burn
I want it to turn brown but not burn
I want it to release its sweetness
I want it to become translucent
When it is soft and translucent and slightly brown
I know it is ready
Now I add my garlic
I use three cloves
I mince them
I add them to the oil
I fry for 30 seconds
That is it
Just 30 seconds
Garlic burns fast
Burned garlic is bitter
Bitter garlic ruins everything
The Tomatoes
Now the tomatoes
This is where I do something different from most people
I use tomato paste and fresh tomatoes together
Both of them
They work together
The tomato paste gives the stew color
It gives it that deep red look
But tomato paste alone gives you a tinny taste
It tastes like the can
So I add fresh tomatoes
I use two overripe tomatoes
The ones that are almost going bad
The ones that are soft and sweet
I blend them smooth with no water added
Why overripe tomatoes
Because they are sweeter
They have more natural sugar
They balance the acidity of the tomato paste
They give it a natural sweetness that sugar cannot replicate
I put this mixture in the pot
I fry it for 2 minutes
I watch it
I stir it
The color changes from bright red to a deeper darker red
When it changes color I know the raw taste is gone
The Wine
The recipe says red wine
I use red wine when I have it
But I do not always have it
And I do not always want to use it
If I do not have wine I use vinegar
White vinegar
About a quarter cup
I mix it with water
I add a teaspoon of sugar to balance the acidity
The vinegar does the same thing as wine
It adds acidity
It helps break down the meat
It brightens the flavors
It balances the richness
If you have wine use it
But do not use expensive wine
Expensive wine is wasted on stew
The alcohol cooks off
All you are left with is the flavor
Use cheap wine
The Deglazing
Now I pour in my liquid
The wine or the vinegar mixture
And I scrape the bottom of the pot
I use a wooden spoon
I scrape hard
All those brown bits that are stuck to the bottom
They are not burnt bits
They are flavor bits
They are gold
I scrape them into the liquid
I stir
I let it bubble for 2 to 3 minutes
The alcohol burns off if I used wine
The flavors come together
The pot looks clean
But the flavor is now in the liquid
The Flour
Now I add flour
Two tablespoons
No more
No less
I sprinkle it over the mixture
I stir
It forms a paste
Why flour
Because flour thickens the stew
Without it your stew will be watery
Watery stew is not satisfying
It runs off the rice
It runs off the yam
But you do not want to add too much flour
Too much flour makes the stew gluey
Two tablespoons is the right amount
I cook the flour for about one minute
I stir it into the paste
I want to cook out the raw flour taste
The Broth
Now I pour in the water I saved from parboiling
That is my broth
It is rich
It is flavorful
It is the foundation of the stew
I pour it in slowly
I stir as I pour
I do not want lumps
If I do not have enough broth I add water
But I do not add plain water
Plain water is flavorless
Flavorless water makes flavorless stew
I add a Maggi cube to the water first
I dissolve it
Then I add it
The Meat Goes Back
Now I put the browned meat back in the pot
I add all of it
Every single piece
I add the carrots
I add the celery if I have it
I drop one whole scotch bonnet pepper in
I do not cut it
I do not blend it
I just drop it in
Why a whole pepper
Because it gives the stew heat without making it spicy
The heat is subtle
It is in the background
It is not overpowering
I cover the pot
I reduce the heat to the lowest setting
I leave it alone
The Waiting
This is the hardest part
You have to wait
You have to let the stew do its thing
You have to let the collagen break down
You have to let the flavors come together
I wait for 1 hour and 30 minutes
Sometimes 2 hours
I do not open the pot
I do not stir
I do not do anything
Why do I not open the pot
Because every time you open the pot you let the steam escape
Steam is heat
Heat is what is cooking the stew
When you let the steam escape you lose heat
And when you lose heat the cooking slows down
I set a timer
I go and do something else
I check my phone
I watch television
I call a friend
I just wait
The Potatoes
After 1 hour and 30 minutes I check the meat
I take a piece
I try to break it with a spoon
If it yields easily it is ready
If it is still tough I cook it longer
When the meat is ready I add the potatoes
I peel them
I cut them into chunks
I add them to the pot
I also add more carrots
The ones I add now will stay firm
They will have a bite to them
They will give the stew texture
I cover the pot again
I cook for another 30 minutes
The potatoes will be soft but they will not dissolve
They will hold their shape
That is what you want
The Finish
After 30 minutes I take the lid off
I remove the scotch bonnet
I remove the bay leaf if I used one
Now I taste the stew
This is where I become a real cook
Does it need salt
I add salt
Does it need more pepper
I add dry pepper
I add it slowly
I taste as I go
Does it need more body
I let it cook a little longer
I let it reduce
Does it need something else
I add a splash of balsamic vinegar or lemon juice
It cuts through the richness
It brightens everything up
Now I add fresh parsley
I chop it
I sprinkle it on top
It adds color
It adds freshness
It makes the stew look beautiful
And I am done
The Mistakes I Still Make
I have been cooking this stew for over 20 years
And I still make mistakes
Last month I forgot to dry the meat properly
I was in a hurry
It steamed
It did not brown
The stew was good but it could have been better
Another time I added too much salt
I had to add more water
That diluted the flavor
Another time I burned the garlic
I was not paying attention
It became bitter
Another time I added the potatoes too early
They dissolved into nothing
So do not beat yourself up when you make mistakes
It happens to everyone
Even people who have been cooking for decades
The Things I Have Learned
I have learned that cooking is not just about following a recipe
It is about understanding what you are doing
I have learned that good food takes time
You cannot rush it
You cannot force it
I have learned that mistakes are part of the process
You learn from them and you get better
I have learned that cooking is a way of taking care of people
When you cook for someone you are saying I care about you
I have learned that the best ingredient in any dish is attention
Attention to detail
Attention to temperature
Attention to taste
The Stories People Tell Me
I have cooked this stew for so many people
And they all have stories
One man told me that this stew reminded him of his mother
She had passed away years ago
He had not tasted anything like it since
He said my stew brought back memories
He said he felt like he was a child again
Sitting in his mother’s kitchen
That made me cry
I did not expect that
I just cooked a stew
I did not know it would make him feel that way
Another woman told me that this stew was the reason she got married
Her husband proposed after she served him this stew
He said the food was so good
He knew he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her
I do not know if that story is true
But I like it
Another woman told me that this stew saved her marriage
Her husband was about to leave
She cooked this stew
He stayed
They talked
They worked things out
These stories are why I cook
Not for the money
For the stories
For the moments
For the memories
My Final Words
This stew is not just food
It is a memory
It is a feeling
It is a way of saying I love you
Without saying anything at all
So go and cook
Go and make memories
Go and make people happy
And when you do come back and tell me about it
I will be here waiting
