Here's a question for you good folks, I'm not a regular here

[Anonymous No.16930974]

Is slow cooking a stew really as simple as chopping up whatever ingredients you want, tossing it in le pot with broth/liquid, setting it on low heat for a few hours, and profit? If I wanted could I just throw a whole bunch of random shit, say, barley, carrots, spinach, onions, garlic, potatoes, eggs, beef, pork, and beer into a pot with some spices and let it sit for like 10 hours? I like cooking as it is but the idea of just being able to throw whatever mystery food I have that's about to go bad into a pot and having a decent soup/stew ready for dinner sounds really fucking appealing.

[Anonymous No.16930978]

>>16930974
Yeah pretty much although I wouldn't add potatoes until the final hour of cooking.

[Anonymous No.16930979]

>>16930978
Why's that? If it's all in the stew on low for ages what's the difference?

[Anonymous No.16930992]

>>16930979
The potatoes will turn to mush if you have them in there too long. Chef John has a really good basic recipe for making stew that you can follow for a base line, and just add your own spin to it. It will be pretty hard to make something that tastes bad.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9ZXL2uILF8

[Anonymous No.16930996]

>>16930992
Hm, thank you friend! I'm not too concerned with how it feels to eat so I'm not really worried about mush, just looking for yummy nutrition. But I'll have to give it a go and play around! Ty for the video

[Anonymous No.16930998]

>>16930974
>Is slow cooking a stew really as simple as chopping up whatever ingredients you want, tossing it in le pot with broth/liquid, setting it on low heat for a few hours, and profit?
YES

[Anonymous No.16931008]

>>16930998
So here's a really dumb question, if I wanted to be lazy do I even have to cook anything first? Or can I throw all raw stuff in, I see a lot of recipes saying to sear the meat first and also to cook onions beforehand

[Anonymous No.16931010]

>>16930996
NP. I'm gonna make some stew soon now as well. It's easily my favorite food in the colder months. Some good bread with it or garlic mashed like Jon makes in that video is fucking great with it too.

[Anonymous No.16931015]

>>16931008
cut it thin enough and you're fine
look, people got by for 1000s of years slicing shit thin enough to cook properly in simmering water and leaving it to simmer all day long
You can manage it

[Anonymous No.16931019]

>>16930974
Yes, sort of. But different ingredients have different cooking times, also depends on how you cut your stuff. Also, it doesn't hurt to sautee veggies/sear the meat beforehand. Plain boiled meat is gross.

[Anonymous No.16931021]

>>16931008
Start with a bit of bacon and then use that grease to sear your meat. I put a really light coating of flour with pepper mixed in on my stew meat and that helps thicken the stew some. After the meat and onions are done you will have some burnt on brown bits on the bottom of your pot and then when you add the liquid, it will de-glaze that burnt stuff and it is a big part of what makes a really good stew. I would not skip that step.

[Anonymous No.16931022]

>>16931019
>Plain boiled meat is gross
shut the FUCK up

[Anonymous No.16931027]

>>16931015
See, this is what I figured, but I also wanted to make sure there wasn't something painfully obvious I missed
>>16931021
hm, so this is mostly for flavor then? good to know, ty for the advice fren

[Anonymous No.16931029]

>>16930974
Yes but its also gonna just be OK instead of really really good.
You can improve stews easily by putting in some extra effort.
Like spend the 15 minutes browing off your meat and sweating your onions, browning your carrorts and other veg in tomato paste then deglazing with wine before adding stock or adding only a few good herbs instead of 12 random ones that will just make some weird unameable flavour.
I always basically do a bunch of random bits to make it taste better depending on the time but I would say only browning the meat is necessary.

[Anonymous No.16931031]

>>16931022
It is, no need to pretend otherwise.

[Anonymous No.16931037]

>>16931022
Prison-food-tier bro. Even the public schools know to brown the meat before making stew.

[Anonymous No.16931040]

>>16931027
You just do trial and error
So what if you overcook stuff and it comes out mushy the first few times
you'll slowly learn naturally when to add things and how to cook or pre-season them

[Anonymous No.16931043]

These two basically answer pretty much every thing is detail.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=B-zgHaVakOQ
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aOI5pUXSQ4M

[Anonymous No.16931073]

>>16931040
This is what I'm gonna dive into, seems the most fun! I just need some hearty meals to give me fuel and I've always been a fan of soups and stews, so I figure it's a good way to have fun and probably eat some foods I normally wouldn't because hey, it all goes in the pot hehe

[Anonymous No.16931082]

>>16931073
you can't go wrong with a classic beef stew or a yankee pot roast

[Anonymous No.16931093]

>>16931082
now one last question, which is probably my dumbest yet. Ik people say not to leave a stove on but is there really a risk if all my shit's in a pot, lid on, left on low? It's an electric stove too so no risk of a gas explosion if the flame somehow went out

[Anonymous No.16931098]

>>16931093
and by left on I mean left on while I'm not home, I've got to work and such so I cant be home for hours to watch it

[Anonymous No.16931102]

>>16931098
>is there any potential risk leaving something cooking over heat while I am not home
yes

[Anonymous No.16931111]

>>16931102
so i should probably just get a crock pot? is there really that much of a risk if it's just on the lowest setting on the stovetop? I dont have anything flammable by my stove

[Anonymous No.16931118]

>>16931098
Make the stew on your day off so you don't burn the house down. lol. It is one of the foods that is usually better reheated anyway.

[Anonymous No.16931134]

>>16931118
hmm, i suppose so, you're probably right. My sperg brain is just trying to rationalize doing something dangerous lol, ig even a super low heat can cause an issue if a rat decided to jump on the stove and catch fire or something lol

[Anonymous No.16931144]

>>16931111
it's a silly risk to take. there are stews that don't take all day if that's what you want. or do it on your day off like the other anon said. or cook it overnight at least.
I've left something cooking for like and hour but I can't do it for a whole day, too much can go wrong and be completely fucked up by the time I get home.

you get in an accident at work and can't get home on time so now you're melting a hole in your pot and setting the kitchen on fire while you're in the ER or whatever.
pot bubbles over and the food falling on the burner smokes up your place and the neighbors call the fire department, they axe your door. etc.
steam and heat from the pot loosens something above the stove (cabinetry, ceiling stuff, etc.) and it falls on the heating element. fire.

in all these scenarios you're on the hook for damages since it was your negligence.

[Anonymous No.16931147]

>>16931144
true, ty for the advice, it is a really silly risk to take

[Anonymous No.16931158]

>>16931147
it's good that you asked these questions though

[Anonymous No.16931180]

>>16931158
<3 i appreciate all the love and genuinely good advice on this board, you guys seem like some of the nicest on this site, might start have to lurking here

[Anonymous No.16931195]

>>16930992
I find if I cook potatoes slowly enough in a soup without agitating them they eventually become firm but tender and smooth, a lot like you find in a dinty moore beef stew can. like 4 hours minimum though and you can't stir it.

[Anonymous No.16931496]

>>16930974
yea basically they just have to compliment each other somewhat, so like tomate and cumin isnt too great together but its really basic shit and you could probably get away with almost anything

[Anonymous No.16931501]

>>16931008
yea technically, you might have to stir and pour some more water in at times but thats about the extend of that, it tastes better to sear it but what ever man its not that big of a difference

[Anonymous No.16931514]

>>16931093
>>16931098
no not really, it might overflow but its unlikely and it might burn but again unlikely but you can easily do that, i do it my self

[Anonymous No.16931544]

>>16931180
You got lucky. This board is just as shit as the rest

[Anonymous No.16932016]

>>16931195
This. I only stir once an hour at most when I do a soup/stew. I did have to learn to add my rice at the very end though as it would turn into rice particles and ruin the soup consistency

[Anonymous No.16932017]

>>16930974
It's mans oldest recipe anon. And yes it's fucking delicious. Do it.

[Anonymous No.16932024]

>>16932016
This is why barley is good for soup, it really keeps its shit together. Rice releases so much more starch.
Farro is pretty good too.

[Anonymous No.16932027]

>>16931008
You can do it that way, but there are reasons to sear and caramelize your onions.

[Anonymous No.16932036]

>>16931008
Yeah, sear off the beef, sweat down/caramelize the onions/garlic before you add any liquid to the pot, makes for less cleanup.

[Anonymous No.16932151]

>>16931008
>>16930998
>>16930974
I would recommend quickly searing the meat and onions together in butter.
Beef Stew:
2 lbs chuck, cubed
Onion, sliced
Potato, cubed
Carrot, sliced
Celery, sliced
Mushroom if you like
Mccormick slow cooker Seasoning
Broth

Veggies then seasoning in pot
Quickly sear meat and onion in hot butter
Meat and onion on top of veggies, so fat drips down into veggies during cooking
Broth
Close lid
8-9 hours on low

Easy cheap and comfy