Stew Recipes

Stews are thick, meaty soups that are usually served as a main course. They are traditional in every region of the world, with variations that make them unique. Paprika makes Hungarian stew goulash, for example, while Irish Stew features lamb and potatoes.

Stew probably dates back to the invention of pottery. Once cooks had something they could stew in, the advantages of simmering meat in broth with a variety of flavorful vegetables became apparent.

Stew is a great way to use the tougher cuts of meat that are simply too chewy if cooked by quicker methods. And, since the tougher cuts are typically cheaper to buy, stew is a frugal meal.

It's also great on clean-up since the entire meal can be made in one pot and served up in one bowl per person. A thick, highly flavored bread like pumperknickel goes better than fragile, delicate little 'lady-like' breads.

Homemade stews briefly fell out of favor as two-income households lacked the time to start the pot simmering in the afternoon, but the advent of slow-cookers meant the reappearance of your favorite recipes back on the family menu again.

The great thing about stews is that they can be tailored to your family's personal quirks and foibles. Don't like carrots? Leave them out. Have a passion for turnips? Double up on the root.

Get adventurous with the herbs and spices. Thyme will give your stew a Roman air. Fresh rosemary makes lamb stew even more delicious. Curries and cumin put an Indian spin on stew and hot red pepper turns a stew into an Ethiopian finger foot, served with thin, flexible injera bread for scooping up bites.

Try these recipes, then invent your own. And be sure to share your successes here with us.

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