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Moist-heat cooking · beginner

Stewing

Slow cooking small, cut pieces fully covered in liquid.

120 recipes use it

What it is

Stewing cooks bite-sized pieces of meat, pulses or vegetables completely submerged in liquid at a low simmer until tender. Many curries, goulash, ishtu and bean stews are stews in this sense.

Why cooks use it: Small pieces fully covered cook evenly and absorb flavour, and tough, cheap cuts become tender.

The science

As in braising, collagen converts slowly to gelatin; small pieces expose more surface, so flavour moves between the meat and liquid more readily.

How heat moves into foodHow proteins set when cookedEvaporation and reductionChanging texture: tenderising and crisping

Step by step

  1. Cut meat or vegetables into even pieces.

  2. Brown the meat in batches if you want deeper flavour.

  3. Cook aromatics, then add the meat and enough liquid to cover.

  4. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cover.

  5. Stir occasionally and cook until tender; add quicker-cooking vegetables later.

  6. Adjust thickness and seasoning at the end.

Heat and timing

  • Stewing 85–95 °C · Gentle simmer.

Time: 1–3 hours for meat; 30–60 minutes for vegetable stews.

How you know it’s right

  • Meat yields easily to a spoon
  • Liquid lightly thickened with gelatin and starch

Common mistakes

  • Boiling hard
  • Adding all vegetables at the start so they turn to mush

Troubleshooting

Thin stew
Uncover and reduce, or mash a few pieces of potato or beans into it.
Bland
Season in stages and add acid (lemon, vinegar) at the end.

Restaurant DNA

How professionals do it

Kitchens make stews in large tilting kettles or rondeaux in advance, holding them hot above 63 °C for service or chilling quickly for later.

At home

A Dutch oven in a low oven or a slow cooker does the job; make a big batch and freeze portions.

General professional practice — not any particular restaurant’s recipe.

Food safety

  • Cool leftovers quickly in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours.

Practise it

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