Thickening Stew

[Matilda]

Hi all.

I need to thicken some stew I'm planning to make. I hate using flour.Always get lumps and a flour, gritty taste. Even using a roux. I was thinking either Tapioca or Cornstarch.

Any suggestions?

OOPS...I forgot. I need to make this in a Slow Cooker. So I need something that will thicken without leaving a funny taste.

Thanks.

 

[Karen W]

Remove the lid, and let it cook down.
Don't add too much liquid.
Use cornstarch as a thickener if you don't like flour.

 

[medtran49]

Do a mirepoix besides your regular vegetables. Remove your pieces of stew meat and regular size veges, use an immersion blender. Voila, thickened liquid without any additives. Return the meat pieces and larger veges to pot. I do this with stews and pot roast both, makes a wonderful tasting gravy/broth

 

[Karen W]

About 2 cups of liquid should do it. (Sometimes I add a little red wine instead of balsamic vinegar.)

Example:

https://www.thewickednoodle.com/chu...m_campaign=tailwind_tribes&utm_content=tribes

 

[buckytom]

What's the stew? There's lots of ways to go depending on where we are.

 

[GadgetGuy]

The thing is, that once you make gravy of any type, you'll have to let it simmer for a while the lumps will eventually go away, & so will the floury gritty taste.

Are you using enough fat in the roux? Too little can make the gravy lumpy. Too little flour can make the gravy watery looking.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Here's some beef stew that I made a while back!!

 

[Mark87]

I actually had the same question but seen it here already. I'm doing a beef stew in the slow cooker and have flour to use. Don't have any corn flour/starch so how or what do I do because there's so many different tips out thrre

 

[GadgetGuy]

Go with your instincts. Do what you think might be best.

 

[Morning Glory]

I actually had the same question but seen it here already. I'm doing a beef stew in the slow cooker and have flour to use. Don't have any corn flour/starch so how or what do I do because there's so many different tips out thrre

If you use ordinary flour you need to make a roux. I do this in the microwave by adding oil to a large bowl, stirring in flour to make a paste and then microwaving for a couple of minutes. See here for step by step:

Quick Microwave Roux | Cook's Illustratedhttps://www.cooksillustrated.com/how_tos/8476-quick-microwave-roux

 

[GadgetGuy]

I've never done this in the microwave before. I've always done it in a frying pan or a pot on the stove.

 

[Morning Glory]

I've never done this in the microwave before. I've always done it in a frying pan or a pot on the stove.

Yes - that's the normal way. It was how I did it before I discovered microwaving it.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Guess that there is always more than one way to skin a cat! Hah!!

 

[Wyshiepoo]

Well although you don't like flour you could use a buerre manie.

https://www.finecooking.com/article/thicken-stews-with-beurre-manie

Failing that you can buy some thickening granules, I don't know what's in them but they are like a kind of tasteless white bisto and can be used in sweet or savoury dishes.