Stew

Culinary definition of stew:  To cook food submerged in liquid - generally slowly.

C@H FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Classic beef stew comes to mind upon mention of the word, but stew is as much about the process as the finished dish. 

The process of stewing - lends itself to leaner, tougher or less desirable cuts of meat that benefit from a long slow cook that will break down their collagen and transform them, seemingly by magic, into melt-in-your-mouth morsels.  Look for stew meat, chuck, bottom and rump meat, pot roast, etc. 

Oxtail stew (above right) and the much-loved osso-bucco are examples of turning off-cut meats into heavenly stewed treats.  Stewing is similar to braising, but braised meat is frequently browned first, is cooked in less liquid and is always covered all or most of the time.  Don't be tempted to use well-marbled, prime cuts of meat in slow-cooked stews.  Once their fat is rendered slowly out in to the liquid, those prime morsels morph into chewy little bits of unhappiness.

✭ ✭ ✭ Economy of Stew.  If you have a freezer, watch for BOGO (buy one, get one free) specials on tougher, unpopular cuts and roasts of beef and lamb. Cut roasts into steaks, then into stewmeat size pieces.  Freeze meat in one or two pound batches, double-wrapped in freezer paper or heavy freezer bags.  This is a great way to get more mileage out of a crockpot or slow-cooker.

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