Last Updated on March 27, 2024 by Share My Kitchen
You’ve just bought a few packages of affordable stew meat at the grocery store. Perhaps you kept some in the freezer to cook later. However you look at it, there’s more to stew meat than just stew. So let’s first learn more about stew meat to see what other options you have.
What Cut is Stew Meat?
Stew meat is made with beef cuts that have a lot of solid connective tissue, such as round and/or chuck. The connective tissue breaks down and becomes tender when it is simmered in liquid. It’s why it is traditionally braised in stock and then turned into beef stew.
What To Make With Diced Beef Stew Meat?
You can use stew meat in any recipe that requires you to chop up and braise chuck or round. You can substitute the round or chuck for an equal amount of stew meat. These are some dishes that you can make to make the best out of those beef.
Beef Chili
Ground meat can also be used to make beef chilli. However, it can also be a good idea to upgrade to stew meat if your main ingredient is beef. You should slowly simmer the meat with beans and spices for a few hours until it becomes tender and juicy. If you need inspiration, check out Food Network Kitchen’s beef chili recipe.
Beef Bourguignon
Although this classic French dish might have a fancy name, it’s actually quite simple. It’s just as simple as making beef stew. But instead of using stock, simmer the beef in red wine and then add bacon to enhance the flavor. You may check Ina Garten for a recipe.
Beef Stroganoff
If you look closely, beef stroganoff starts off looking very similar to beef stew. The basic idea behind beef stroganoff is to brown the stew meat and then simmer it with classic aromatics such as onions and carrots. But you add cream cheese and sour cream, you serve it over buttery noodles at the end. Everyone may thank Geoffrey Zakarian for this simple recipe.
Do you know where beef stroganoff got its name? Make sure you also read our famous dishes and names posts for a saucy culinary history!
Beef Pot Pie
Chicken? Never mind that. Pot pies made from stew meat are delicious. Mix the meat cubes in flour and brown them. Then, add braising liquid and aromatics to thicken the mixture to make silky potpie filling.
Beef Enchiladas
Do you ever braise large pieces of meat for hours, and then it just falls apart when you put a fork into it? Favorably, you can make enchiladas that are oven ready from stew meat by adding some vinegar to it during cooking.
Beef Paprikash
This Hungarian dish is typically made with chicken but you can use other meats instead such as lamb, veal, pork or, of course, beef. This dish is heavily influenced by paprika, and to get the brightest flavor, use a jar that you just bought. Food Network Kitchen’s recipe can be cooked in a slow cooker all day.
Beef Curry
You absolutely have to cook the stew beef with curry powder, fresh ginger, garlic, and then slow-cook it with potatoes. Then, top it off with some homemade cilantro sauce and naan. If this sounds appealing, you can visit Food Network Kitchen’s recipe.
Goulash
A classic Hungarian dish which depends on stew meat to give it its rich flavor. For a wonderful umami taste, you can braise the stew meat with tomato paste and chopped canned tomatoes and some Worcestershire sauce. Then add fluffy homemade dumplings to your stew.
Can You Fry Beef Stew Meat?
The tricky part with frying beef is that you want to avoid creating savory chewy gum. To do that, you can grab a skillet, 1 tablespoon of oil, and saute or searing fry it. When it comes to diced stew meat, you want to use a skillet on medium-high heat.
Good luck on your meaty endevadours!
