The New Intimacy

#EdenCooks - Beef Stew OR Pho Bo - Mon. Jan 16 at 8pm EST

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Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Yep, that's the gist! Stews are a little "heartier" because they've been thickened.


Awesome. So the easiest way to think of it is that a stew is a thickened soup. Today we're featuring both a soup and a stew, and ... more
I don't think I've ever made a stew before, so I'm excited to learn how.
01/16/2012
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
I've never made a stew but I know that I can turn my vegetable soup into beef stew with a little bit of cornstarch and water or a slurry.
Yep, cornstarch works, but my personal preference is flour. Cornstarch things always feel... kinda too silken on my tongue, and you don't get the little nutty flavor from the wheat. Totally workable, though!
01/16/2012
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Rossie
Ha, ha, I can put the simple recipe here instead!

Ingredients: A jar of Indian Hot curry paste, yellow onions, minced garlic, minced fresh ginger, beef broth, chunks of lamb for stew.

Instructions: Preheat oven at 350 degrees. In a ... more
Oooh, bonus recipe!
01/16/2012
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Yep, cornstarch works, but my personal preference is flour. Cornstarch things always feel... kinda too silken on my tongue, and you don't get the little nutty flavor from the wheat. Totally workable, though!
I totally agree! I prefer flour as well!
01/16/2012
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
Quote:
Originally posted by Starkiller87
It is pretty easy. Just a lot of layering. I like putting ground beef and italian sausage in my lasagna. Give it a little kick.
Nice. Hers had a lot of ground beef, but chorizo or Italian sausage sounds like it might be good too.
01/16/2012
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Ah, my talk got stuck at the bottom of the page, so :



So soups and stews are both made by taking the last possible sheds of flavor from meat, enhancing them with time, warmth, and spices, adding some vegetables, and spreading it out among the whole family.

I usually prepare a stew early in the morning and let it simmer all day.

Pho, on the other hand, is a thin beef soup---and I usually prepare the broth one evening (usually while cooking something else for dinner), and make it into soup the next. This lets you separate the fat easily because it can cool overnight.


So, the timing varies a bit, but let's take a look at our meat scraps and flavor enhancers for stew and pho!

01/16/2012
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
and I know not to stock pineapple for you! Ok that was lame, but whatever.
Haha, hubs love pineapple, so you can have that around
01/16/2012
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
And well, cornstarch is relegated to toys now so I try not to use it when I'm cooking. The crossover is just too weird.
01/16/2012
Contributor: Rossie Rossie
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Do you want it fried or baked?

If you're baking it, I default to worchestershire sauce and garlic for flavoring very bland things, but I'm sure there are other ideas around here too!
How about Cajun Blacked seasoning mix, then pan-fry? It has tons of flavor!
01/16/2012
Contributor: Sir Sir
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Oooh, bonus recipe!
Indeed, that sounds wonderful.
01/16/2012
Contributor: Sir Sir
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
And well, cornstarch is relegated to toys now so I try not to use it when I'm cooking. The crossover is just too weird.
You know, they have cornstarch-based baby powder, if that helps?
01/16/2012
Contributor: Starkiller87 Starkiller87
Quote:
Originally posted by Jul!a
Nice. Hers had a lot of ground beef, but chorizo or Italian sausage sounds like it might be good too.
I HATE chorizo. Im probably the only mexican in the world who HATES it. haha. The smell makes me nauseated, which sucks because I woke up most mornings growing up to chorizo and eggs. I dunno I just cant like it, im weird.
01/16/2012
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by Jul!a
Haha, hubs love pineapple, so you can have that around
Awesome! It's soo good. I've made my mouth raw from eating it.
01/16/2012
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
And well, cornstarch is relegated to toys now so I try not to use it when I'm cooking. The crossover is just too weird.
It still makes a good duster-of-Turkish-deli ghts!
01/16/2012
Contributor: geliebt geliebt
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Ah, my talk got stuck at the bottom of the page, so :



So soups and stews are both made by taking the last possible sheds of flavor from meat, enhancing them with time, warmth, and spices, adding some vegetables, and spreading it out ... more
I love Pho! I've only ever had it a couple times but my word it was awesome
01/16/2012
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by Sir
You know, they have cornstarch-based baby powder, if that helps?
Hmmm...interesting. So no talc whatsoever?
01/16/2012
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by geliebt
I love Pho! I've only ever had it a couple times but my word it was awesome
Well now you can have it lots more often!
01/16/2012
Contributor: Antipova Antipova


Antipova's Mom's Venison Stew

(beef is exactly the same, just use beef.)

1 lb venison (or beef)
3T oil (canola or something plain)
3-4T flour

1 1/2 cup broth or water

1 onion
2 cloves garlic
8 small potatoes, or 2-3 large potatoes
2-3 celery sticks
2-3 carrot sticks
1 tsp thyme
3 bay leaves
1 t worchestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper


I had just been gifted a crock pot, so I christened it with stew, and it turned out exactly the same as it would on the stovetop, so feel free to use a crock pot if you like.

Then, for
Nice Vietnamese Man Antipova Met in Denver's Pho Bo


2 yellow onions
1 thumb of ginger
5 lbs beef bones

4 T coriander seeds
4 T fennel seeds
3 inches cinnamon bark
5 anise stars
1 T whole cloves
1 black cardamom pod
(you can buy these individually or in a kit. You can skip the cardamom pod if it's hard to find, or replace it with green ones (which are easy to find).)

Oh yeah, and then the two ingredients I forgot to take a picture of because you don't add them til the broth is almost done:

1 inch^3 piece rock candy (or 2 T sugar)
2 T fish sauce

And then finally, to take this from broth to actual soup, you'll want:

2 lb "banh pho" noodles. (If you ask at your Asian market where the "rice sticks" are, you'll be shown the right stuff.)
1/s pound eye of round, very thinly sliced (this is going to cook once you add it to the bowl)
1 yellow onion, very thinly sliced, soaked in cold water for 30 min
4 green onions, thinly sliced

cliantro
Thai basil
bean sprouts
Thai bird chilies
Lime wedges

I made this in a stock pan. It's also important to have a dish of cold water and a shallow ladle nearby so you can skim the froth and fat off.

01/16/2012
Contributor: Sir Sir
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
Hmmm...interesting. So no talc whatsoever?
Correct.
01/16/2012
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

Do you know where to find these ingredients, or should we talk a little more about any of them?

01/16/2012
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by Sir
Correct.
I'll check it out! Thanks!
01/16/2012
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by Sir
Correct.
I'll check it out! Thanks!
01/16/2012
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Oops sorry about that.
01/16/2012
Contributor: Sir Sir
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Do you know where to find these ingredients, or should we talk a little more about any of them?

I know that the rock candy can be substituted for sugar, but what exactly is rock candy?
01/16/2012
Contributor: Jul!a Jul!a
Quote:
Originally posted by Starkiller87
I HATE chorizo. Im probably the only mexican in the world who HATES it. haha. The smell makes me nauseated, which sucks because I woke up most mornings growing up to chorizo and eggs. I dunno I just cant like it, im weird.
Haha, chorizo is one of those things that I love to smell cooking, but can only eat sometimes. I think if it's in stuff I don't mind it anywhere near as much as when it is the main dish. There's a grocery store not too far from me that has a lot of random meats seasoned like I've seen most chorizo seasoned and before it was cooked it smelled delicious, and as it was cooking it smelled delicious, and after it was cooked I passed the plate to my husband, lol.
01/16/2012
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Where would I find beef bones? There isn't a butcher around here for miles!
01/16/2012
Contributor: Ansley Ansley
Quote:
Originally posted by Sir
I know that the rock candy can be substituted for sugar, but what exactly is rock candy?
I *think* it's just crystalized sugar in big chunks with food coloring. Remember the experiment in school where you had to grow sugar crystals on a string? Same theory.
01/16/2012
Contributor: Starkiller87 Starkiller87
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
I *think* it's just crystalized sugar in big chunks with food coloring. Remember the experiment in school where you had to grow sugar crystals on a string? Same theory.
You got to grow sugar on a string! Thats awesome. We got to watch movies in every single class through out all of high school which sucked.
01/16/2012
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Sir
I know that the rock candy can be substituted for sugar, but what exactly is rock candy?
If you take a sugar-water solution, and put tie a string around a pencil, and let the string trail in the sugar-water, sugar crystals will grow up the string. It's basically that.

The package proudly proclaims it is "made by traditional method," and I don't see why it wouldn't be the same as the "traditional method" we did in first grade to learn about crystals
01/16/2012
Contributor: Rossie Rossie
Quote:
Originally posted by Ansley
I *think* it's just crystalized sugar in big chunks with food coloring. Remember the experiment in school where you had to grow sugar crystals on a string? Same theory.
You'll find it in Asian markets, it's slightly yellowish in color, sometimes they're really chunky, I whack them with a hammer to break them apart!
01/16/2012