How was stew made in old days?

Stew is a dish that has been around for centuries. It is a type of soup that contains meat, vegetables, and flavorings like herbs and spices. Stewing was a common cooking technique in the past because it was an easy way to make a nutritious one-pot meal. Let’s take a look at how stew was made in the old days.

What is Stew?

Stew is defined as a dish made by simmering ingredients like meat and vegetables in liquid for a long time. The long, slow cooking tenderizes the meat and allows the flavors to meld together into a hearty, delicious meal. Some key features of stew:

• Contains chunks of meat like beef, lamb, chicken, or pork as the primary ingredient
• Includes vegetables like potatoes, carrots, onions, celery, beans, etc.
• Simmered in a liquid like broth, wine, beer, or water
• Cooked slowly over low heat for hours to develop deep, rich flavors
• Thickens as it cooks and the starches from veggies break down
• Can use tough, inexpensive cuts of meat
• Nutritious one-pot meal

Stews have been made for thousands of years across many cultures. They were an economical way to stretch inexpensive ingredients into a hearty meal. The long cooking time helps tenderize tough meats.

Meats Used in Traditional Stews

Stews often utilize the less tender cuts of meat that require prolonged cooking times to become tender. Here are some of the popular meats used in stews historically:

• Beef: Chuck steak or roast, brisket, round, rump roast, shanks
• Lamb: Shoulder, neck, shanks, breast
• Pork: Shoulder, ribs, hocks
• Chicken: Legs, thighs, wings
• Veal: Shoulder, shanks, bones
• Game meats: Venison, rabbit, boar, elk, etc.

Tougher cuts from the shoulder, leg, flank, neck, and shanks are ideal for stewing since they become tender after simmering for a long time. Meat would sometimes be marinated ahead of time in wine, vinegar, or spices to add extra flavor.

Traditional Stew Vegetables

In addition to meat, stews often contain a medley of vegetables. Typical vegetables added to stews historically included:

• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Onions
• Celery
• Turnips
• Parsnips
• Sweet potatoes
• Pumpkin
• Mushrooms
• Peas
• Beans (kidney, white, etc.)
• Tomatoes
• Okra
• Leeks
• Cabbage
• Corn
• Squash
• Barley

Hearty winter vegetables that store well like carrots, onions, turnips, and potatoes were commonly added to thicken the broth. Other veggies were used based on regional and seasonal availability.

Traditional Stew Flavorings

To add delicious flavor to stews, cooks often used:

• Herbs: Bay leaves, parsley, thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil
• Spices: Pepper, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, chili powder
• Savory ingredients: Tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, anchovies
• Wine or Ale: Red wine, white wine, beer, stout
• Dried mushrooms: Porcini, morel, chanterelle
• Smokey ingredients: Bacon, ham hocks, smoked sausage

These ingredients were used to add layers of flavor to the stew without overpowering the meat and vegetables. Hearty herbs and spices stood up to the lengthy cooking time.

Traditional Cooking Methods

There were no microwaves or pressure cookers back in the day! Stews were cooked using simple cooking tools and techniques. Here are some traditional cooking methods used for stew:

• Cast iron pot or dutch oven: Thick, heavy pots were ideal for simmering stews evenly over a fire or stove.
• Open fire: Stews simmered for hours over a gentle flame in the fireplace.
• Wood burning stove: Later on, wood stoves allowed cooks to simmer stew gently for hours.
• Pots were covered: Covering the pot helped circulate steam to tenderize the meat.
• Intermittent stirring: Occasional stirring prevented sticking and helped blend flavors.
• Low and slow: Gentle simmering blended flavors without overcooking.

These simple tools and techniques worked perfectly to transform tough cuts of meat into fall-apart tender stew full of flavor. The meat became succulent and flavor permeated the entire dish.

Common Types of Historical Stews

Stews have taken on numerous culinary traditions based on region, culture, and available ingredients. Here are some classic types of stews from history:

• Irish Stew: Lamb, root vegetables, potatoes, herbs.
• Brunswick Stew: Chicken, pork, corn, beans, tomatoes, squirrel.
• Burgoo: Beef, chicken, pork, veggies.
• Scotch Broth: Lamb, barley, root vegetables.
• Boeuf Bourguignon: Beef, red wine, mushrooms, pearl onions.
• Chicken Bog: Chicken, sausage, rice.
• Cassoulet: Beans, meat, pork skin.
• Carbonnade: Beef, beer, spice bread.
• Goulash: Beef, paprika, peppers.
• Olla Podrida: Beef, pork, chicken, beans, veggies.

These are just a few examples of the many stew recipes developed over the centuries across the world. Common themes include a protein, local produce, and regional seasonings.

Typical Ingredients in an Old Fashioned Stew Recipe

While recipes varied greatly, a typical old fashioned stew might contain:

• 1-2 lbs beef, pork, lamb, or game meat, cut into 1-2 inch chunks
• 3-4 cups chopped vegetables (potatoes, carrots, onions, turnips, etc.)
• 2-3 cups liquid (broth, wine, ale, etc.)
• Herbs like parsley, thyme, bay leaf
• Spices like salt, pepper and paprika
• Savory ingredients like tomato paste or Worcestershire sauce
• Pearl onions, mushrooms or other veggies near the end

The meat was first seared for color and flavor. Then the vegetables were added and cooked briefly before adding the liquid. Herbs and spices lent flavor. The stew simmered gently for 2-4 hours until meat was fork tender.

Typical Cooking Steps for an Old Fashioned Stew

A basic procedure for making stew in olden times might look like:

1. Sear meat in batches in a cast iron pot to brown the exterior.
2. Remove meat and sauté aromatics like onion, garlic, celery.
3. Add carrots, potatoes and other root vegetables. Cook briefly.
4. Pour in liquid like stock, wine or ale and add herbs.
5. Return meat to pot and bring to a gentle simmer.
6. Cover and cook at a bare simmer for 2-4 hours, until meat is tender.
7. Add quick cooking vegetables like peas or beans towards the end.
8. Season stew to taste with salt, pepper and other seasonings.
9. Thicken stew with a roux, beurre manie, cornstarch, or mashed veggies if desired.
10. Serve stew into bowls with crusty bread, biscuits or rice.

Following these steps resulted in a hearty, nourishing stew that was perfectly suited for the cold weather months. The meat was fall-apart tender after long, gentle cooking.

Common Problems When Making Stew

Stewing takes patience and technique. Here are some common problems home cooks encountered when making stew historically:

• Tough, chewy meat: Stew needs extended cooking times, at least 2-4 hours for the meat to become tender.
• Burning or scorching: The liquid evaporates too quickly if the heat is too high. Must keep it at a gentle simmer.
• Stew lacks flavor: The herbs, spices, and seasoning must be balanced. Could also brown meat first for more flavor.
• Too thin or watery: Reduce uncovered for 15-30 minutes to thicken liquid.
• Vegetables overcooked and mushy: Add more delicate vegetables like peas later so they don’t overcook.
• Fat separating and floating: Skim fat from the top and stir back in for flavor and thickness.

With practice and patience, these potential pitfalls were avoided and cooks were rewarded with a hearty, flavorful stew.

Tips for Making Flavorful Stew

Here are some tips passed down for generations for making the most flavorful, hearty stew:

• Choose inexpensive, flavorful cuts of meat suitable for braising like chuck roast or pork shoulder.
• Brown the meat first in batches to caramelize the exterior.
• Sauté aromatics like onions, carrots, and celery first to build a flavor base.
• Deglaze the pan with wine, broth or beer to pick up browned bits.
• Add tomatoes, mushrooms, or savory ingredients like Worcestershire for depth.
• Use plenty of herbs and spices. They shine after long cooking.
• Simmer stew gently – a bubble every now and then. Don’t let it boil.
• Skim excess fat from the top and stir back in for flavor.
• Check seasonings before serving and adjust to taste.

Following these tips results in a winning stew full of complex flavors in every spoonful. With the right techniques, stew delivers satisfaction that warms you from the inside out!

Changes in Stew Making Over the Years

While the basics remain the same, there have been some changes in stew making over the decades:

• Wider availability of ingredients like exotic spices, produce out of season.
• Modern cooking tools like Instant Pots that speed up cooking times.
• Thickeners like cornstarch used instead of roux.
• Ingredient additions for flavor like fish sauce, soy sauce, hoisin.
• Leaner meat cuts without much marbling or fat.
• Emphasis on reducing sodium for health.
• Plant-based stews without meat substitutes like seitan.
• Global fusion stews with new spice blends and chile peppers.

While old fashioned beef stew is still beloved, home cooks today have an arsenal of new ingredients and cooking tools at their disposal. New generations put their spin on traditional dishes!

Conclusion

Stew has nourishing humans for millenniums. It transformed tough, inexpensive ingredients into hearty, flavorful meals. While cooking technology has changed, the basic techniques live on. Searing meat, simmering with aromatics, and slow cooking results in fork-tender meat and vegetables infused with flavor. Stew connects us to our ancestral past and warms our souls on crisp fall days. This hearty one-pot meal will continue satisfying eaters for generations to come!