Stews

Preparation

1. Bland

   Step 1

   No stew has been made that couldn’t be perked up by adding 1/4 cup sherry and stirring well just before serving. (If you think you’ve made one that couldn’t be so improved, we’d like to see it. Smear some on a postcard and send it on in.) If sherry doesn’t work for you, try black pepper, hot paprika, Worcestershire sauce, or black bean sauce.

2. Burned

   Step 2

   Transfer the unstuck part, without scraping any of the stuck part, to another pot at once. Using a wooden spoon is best. Add more water if necessary. Add some more onions; they tend to overcome any of the burned flavor that may remain.

3. Falling apart

   Step 3

   Sometimes stew just cooks itself to bits. You can’t reassemble it, so serve it over noodles or rice; it will look like a great sauce.

4. Fatty

   Step 4

   If the consistency permits, the fat may be skimmed off with a paper towel. If it doesn’t, chill the stew after it is fully cooked (you can put it in the freezer for a while) and then remove the solidified fat. Most stews taste better the next day anyway.

5. Not enough

   Step 5

   Serve the stew over noodles. Add more vegetables—and don’t forget that beans are protein food. A can of kidney or lima beans can stretch a stew without thinning it out.

6. Salty

   Step 6

   Increase the quantity without adding more salt if at all possible. If not, add a couple of pinches of brown sugar; it tends to mask the saltiness without adding any noticeable sweetness.

7. Too thin

   Step 7

   The best thickener for most stews is a handful of potato flakes stirred in. See SOUPS, Too Thin for additional suggestions.

8. Tough

   Step 8

   This usually means that you haven’t cooked it long enough. How much time have you? You can fish the chunks of meat out and cut them smaller. A tablespoon of vinegar added to the pot will also help make tough stew meat tender. The acid in tomatoes has the same effect, so add some fresh or canned tomatoes if they will be compatible.

9. Turning gray

   Step 9

   If, when you’re browning the meat before assembling the stew, it’s turning gray instead of brown, the problem is too much moisture in the pan, which causes the meat to steam. This time, try to eliminate the overcrowding, either by removing some of the meat or using a larger pan. Next time, be sure the meat is very dry before browning.