In the brief, quiet lull between Christmas and New Year's, all I want to do is read my novel by the fire—which is to say, what I don't want to do is undertake any elaborate, prep-intensive cooking. That makes it the perfect time for stew—a hearty beef stew, say, with delicata squash and potatoes.
Sometimes I let the stew slow-cook in my oven. But during the work week, I use my slow cooker: 15 minutes of bustling in the kitchen before I head out the door in the morning means I can have hot, perfectly-tender stew waiting for me when I get home eight hours later.
A great stew can be made with any combination of meat and vegetables, and endless flavorings. Follow these 5 simple steps to learn how to make stew without a recipe:
1. Slice and dice the ingredients
First, gather your main ingredients, starting with the meat: you want about a half pound of meat—beef, lamb, pork, and veal all work—per person you're serving. (You could get by with 6 ounces of meat per person, but a half pound ensures you'll have leftovers, and leftover stew is a very good thing.) Buy pre-cut stew meat or buy a large chunk of meat and cut it into 1 1/2- to 2-inch cubes yourself.
Next: potatoes. I like equal parts potatoes and meat in my stews. Waxy potatoes like Yukon gold or red potatoes hold their shape their best. Peel them if you like, or just scrub them clean, then cut them into pieces that match the size of your pieces of meat.
You want at least one other vegetable in the stew to round out your meal. Carrots are the classic, and will never go out of style. In addition to or instead of carrots, try turnips, parsnips, or squash, such as delicata. You can add as much or as little as you like; I usually add about half the amount of potatoes (so, 2 pounds of carrots for 4 pounds of potatoes). Cut them into bite-size pieces.
Last but certainly not least, you'll need an onion (or two) to build the foundation of your stew with. About half an onion per person (or 1 onion for every pound of meat) should do the trick: dice it up and you're ready to go. A clove of garlic (or two, or four) chopped up with that onion is also a great idea. But if you're not into garlic, you can totally skip it.
2. Sear the Meat
Once you have all your ingredients sliced and diced, it's time to start cooking. If you are going to use your oven, preheat it to 325°F. If you're going to use your slow cooker, set it to low. If you're using the oven, grab the heavy Dutch oven you plan to cook the stew in. If you're using your slow cooker, grab a large heavy skillet. Heat the pot or skillet over high heat with a swirl of neutral oil in it, and season your meat generously with salt and pepper. Working in batches if needed, sear your pieces of meat by placing them at least an inch apart (seriously—we're searing, not steaming, so give them plenty of room) and turning them every three or five minutes until they're deeply browned on all sides. Set aside on a plate, or place them right into the slow cooker.
