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Old 21-11-2015, 21:05
CBFreak
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Can I make beef stew without wine and Worcestershire sauce?

All recipes I've found have either one of those ingredients. I do have Knorr rich beef stock and an all spice blend and tomato puree. I've also got peri peri sauce but not sure if that would work.
Oh and I do have a packet of powder for Sausage stew
(Plus ginger and garlic and mixed herbs plus the meat and veg )

Would those work?
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Old 21-11-2015, 21:10
koantemplation
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Can I make beef stew without wine and Worcestershire sauce?

All recipes I've found have either one of those ingredients. I do have Knorr rich beef stock and an all spice blend and tomato puree. I've also got peri peri sauce but not sure if that would work.
Oh and I do have a packet of powder for Sausage stew
(Plus ginger and garlic and mixed herbs plus the meat and veg )

Would those work?
Yes you can make beef stew without wine or Worcestershire Sauce.

I'm not sure about using all spice, peri peri, ginger or garlic though.
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Old 21-11-2015, 21:10
degsyhufc
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Can I make beef stew without wine and Worcestershire sauce?
What do you think?
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Old 21-11-2015, 21:38
daisiesfan
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What do you think?
Is there really any need for the snooty response?
Wouldn't expect anything else though from this forum.
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Old 21-11-2015, 21:54
petral_gal
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Yep!! I usually just put in the beef with onion/carrots and stock.

Enjoy
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Old 21-11-2015, 22:10
CBFreak
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thank you those who helped. I'll make it tomorrow. I was going to make it today but I want it to properly stew over a few hours
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Old 21-11-2015, 22:23
koantemplation
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Yep!! I usually just put in the beef with onion/carrots and stock.

Enjoy
I add potato as well which helps thicken the stew up.
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Old 21-11-2015, 23:11
confuddled
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Can I make beef stew without wine and Worcestershire sauce?

All recipes I've found have either one of those ingredients. I do have Knorr rich beef stock and an all spice blend and tomato puree. I've also got peri peri sauce but not sure if that would work.
Oh and I do have a packet of powder for Sausage stew
(Plus ginger and garlic and mixed herbs plus the meat and veg )

Would those work?
i never use wine or Worcestershire sauce in a bog standard beef stew, normally id use a good quality beef stock, carrot, onion and sometimes some button mushrooms near the end. for a cheat you can also put a knorr gravy pot in at the end to thicken. for a slow oven job try shin of beef, very cheap and tasty i'd coat the beef in flour and brown before adding to my cooking pot.
i wouldn't be tempted with peri peri or all spice, sometimes less is more and you want to taste the beef.
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Old 21-11-2015, 23:18
Toby LaRhone
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Can I make beef stew without wine and Worcestershire sauce?

All recipes I've found have either one of those ingredients. I do have Knorr rich beef stock and an all spice blend and tomato puree. I've also got peri peri sauce but not sure if that would work.
Oh and I do have a packet of powder for Sausage stew
(Plus ginger and garlic and mixed herbs plus the meat and veg )

Would those work?
1. Yes you can
2. All spice, piri piri, ginger and the sausage powder thingy have no place.
Mixed herbs and garlic in at the start are fine.
Google using ale instead of wine.
The main thing is that, after a reasonable cooking time, you taste the stew liquid and season it according to your taste.

Edit: do you ask because you don't like red wine or don't have any?
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Old 21-11-2015, 23:20
Toby LaRhone
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Is there really any need for the snooty response?
Wouldn't expect anything else though from this forum.
Yet here you are.
What's your advice to OP?
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Old 21-11-2015, 23:33
confuddled
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1. Yes you can
2. All spice, piri piri, ginger and the sausage powder thingy have no place.
Mixed herbs and garlic in at the start are fine.
Google using ale instead of wine.
The main thing is that, after a reasonable cooking time, you taste the stew liquid and season it according to your taste.

Edit: do you ask because you don't like red wine or don't have any?
i'm a big fan of alcohol but i really can't abide it in food except perhaps the odd dessert.
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Old 21-11-2015, 23:48
CBFreak
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1. Yes you can
2. All spice, piri piri, ginger and the sausage powder thingy have no place.
Mixed herbs and garlic in at the start are fine.
Google using ale instead of wine.
The main thing is that, after a reasonable cooking time, you taste the stew liquid and season it according to your taste.

Edit: do you ask because you don't like red wine or don't have any?
Both I don't like wine or have any. I was just wondering if it would affect the taste too much or was essential. I'll avoid the things you mention. I think I have some chicken stock in the cupboard too. (some of the recipes said it worked just as well as beef stock)
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Old 21-11-2015, 23:48
Toby LaRhone
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i'm a big fan of alcohol but i really can't abide it in food except perhaps the odd dessert.
In desserts you taste it - that's the point of it.
In stews, chillis, bolognaise, risottos etc that are well cooked the actual alcohol content is cooked out leaving just an added flavour.
In a slow cooked oven dish you could add a whole bottle of red.or can of guinness - at the end you'll have no taste of either drink but a much more robust liquid.

That's the theory. It's also a very good excuse for the perks of cooking whilst your loved one watches telly
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Old 21-11-2015, 23:55
Toby LaRhone
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Both I don't like wine or have any. I was just wondering if it would affect the taste too much or was essential. I'll avoid the things you mention. I think I have some chicken stock in the cupboard too. (some of the recipes said it worked just as well as beef stock)
Sorry, I meant to ask about both - the wine and Worcester sauce.
If you don't like or drink red wine it's not going to make a difference by having none.
I find Worcester sauce can definitely make a difference - until you over splosh it.
But that's personal preference.
Hence taste as you go.
If you have a Knorr rich beef stock pot why use the chicken?

Whatever happens, have a go!
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Old 22-11-2015, 01:10
Roni_J
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Never used red wine or Worcester sauce in a beef stew and always been tasty. To get extra flavour in your stew caramelise the ingredients before putting in the pot, especially the beef and onions.
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Old 22-11-2015, 11:41
aggielane
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I usually just use beef stock mixed herbs and white pepper. The rest of the flavour comes from the browned meat and veg
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Old 22-11-2015, 11:47
Hobbit Feet
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Don't use 'stewing steak' use shin beef (and your choice of veg - I brown all in olive oil before I start), oxo cube, and a roux to thicken, then slow cook for hours - there's enough flavour there without adding more than a bit of seasoning

I have nothing else to give, sorry
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Old 22-11-2015, 11:51
stud u like
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I use tomato ketchup and a pint glass of water. Fenugreek is lovely in a stew.
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Old 22-11-2015, 11:59
NoFussNoFrills
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I dry fry all my meat, leeks or onions, then cover lightly with flour ( about a tablespoon ) then I add 3 oxo's, dash of mustard and a little gravy browning, stir in water slowly, then I add my veg, suede, parsnips, carrots etc, then 3/4 fill pot. Leave in slow cooker for 4-5 hours. I use diced stewing steak with not much fat on it. Later I take it out off slow cooking and add dumplings, made with flour and butter, not suet as I find it very fatty. My slow cooker is a sear and cook one, so I can do this in one pot. I usually put the pot on hob low heat when I add dumplings at th end for about 20 mins. This recipe is usually foolproof, long as you don't add too much flour. Salt and pepper to season.
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Old 22-11-2015, 12:13
dragonrapide
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We use a pressure cooker for such things. Very quick to cook and never put booze in stew.
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Old 22-11-2015, 12:54
Jellied Eel
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Both I don't like wine or have any. I was just wondering if it would affect the taste too much or was essential. I'll avoid the things you mention. I think I have some chicken stock in the cupboard too. (some of the recipes said it worked just as well as beef stock)
1) Treat all recipies as guidelines, unless you're aiming to make something traditional. So for example, beef usually has no place in a lemon meringue pie. Neither would most modern/non-native 'erbs and spices in a British stew.

2) Stew is classic 'peasent food'. So basically chucking whatever was to hand into the stew pot and letting it simmer till edible. So a way to tenderise cheap cuts of meat and bulk it out with veg. It's more a method than a recipie.

3) Flavour it with whatever you like. You're the one who's eating it after all.

But for stuff like wine, it's often the volume rather than flavour. So if recipie calls for 1/2 bottle of wine and you leave it out, the stew may end up being rather dry. So replace it with stock, or water + flavourings. Or one of my favorite substitutes, Guiness or Bitter.. Although Guiness may make it taste a bit bitter, so might need sweeter additives like extra carrots.

But this time of year, it's a nice simple winter warmer and a slow coooker makes it dead easy to make.
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Old 22-11-2015, 15:05
daisiesfan
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Yet here you are.
What's your advice to OP?
Probarbly to go onto another forum, where people are less snotty.
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Old 22-11-2015, 15:28
CBFreak
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I don't have a slow cooker so I'm just on low heat on the hob. I made sure the onions and beef were nicely browned before putting them in. I also liked the sound of mustard so added a little of that in. used the knorr beef pot and a chicken stock cube to bulk up the juices. Still got dumplings to go in which should soak up some of the excess
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Old 22-11-2015, 15:36
soap-lea
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I don't have a slow cooker so I'm just on low heat on the hob. I made sure the onions and beef were nicely browned before putting them in. I also liked the sound of mustard so added a little of that in. used the knorr beef pot and a chicken stock cube to bulk up the juices. Still got dumplings to go in which should soak up some of the excess
how much water have you used in the stock?

I think it might end up quite watery, if it is stir in some cornflour about an hour before the end of your cooking time to thicken it up
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Old 22-11-2015, 15:50
LostFool
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We use a pressure cooker for such things. Very quick to cook and never put booze in stew.
Isn't the whole point of a stew/casserole that it is done slowly? Using a pressure cooker seems to defeat the purpose.

I prefer wine for drinking but a bottle of decent beer can work well.
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