We had a tie for DOTQ this quarter, with crepes/Dutch babies and stews finishing in a dead heat. As a lover of all things braised, I cast my tie-breaking vote for STEWS! Looking forward to reading about all of your comforting creations this quarter.
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We came across some lamb neck fillet at a farm shop. It’s not a common cut but it’s ideal for long cooking. We see Lancashire Hotpot in our near future. Traditionally (by which I mean how Mum cooked it), the meat isnt browned so that it absorbs the cooking flavours. There’s carrot and onion. Then a topping of thinly sliced potato which goes crispy as it all bakes uncovered in the oven. Traditional accompaniment of pickled red cabbage (or pickled beetroot) is essential.
It’s one of those dishes where everyone will have their own variation. We’ve even eaten a Michelin starred Hotpot. Yes, it was refined but it was recognisably Hotpot.
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Sounds delicious. Love a good lamb stew.
Almost impossible to find in the US – my (English) aunt loves it, and can never find it. When I last visited her (in the Boston area) we stopped at a few international butchers (all halal) to see if they stocked the cut, and one did, but not boneless as she wanted / remembered, only with the bone.
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Made chile verde with roto chicken, a jar of medium roasted hatch chiles and fresh tomatillos….last week, so jumping the gun a bit. I batch cooked about 3 lbs. After I froze the batches I realized something. A small 2 cup container of chicken chile verde can easily be made into a soup by adding 2-3 cup of chicken broth. As cold season ramps up, might be handy. Just enough heat to help a cold.
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Does “Hoover Stew” count?? I’m planning on making that this weekend, but with brats instead of hot dogs.
Here is the previous version…
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I plan to make:
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(post deleted by author)
I tried to post this as a table, but that functionality seems to be kinda rubbish so, here was dinner on Tuesday (and again as tacos, yesterday):
Black Beans with Tomato and Habanero
8 oz. dry black beans
4 c. water
3 bay leaves
a capful of Mrs. Dash Onion and Herb seasoning (or your preferred dry seasoning (ex. dehydrated onion, garlic, a Penzey’s thing, etc.)
1 T. neutral oil
1 habanero, seeded and diced
1 medium onion, medium chop
14.5 oz. can of petite diced tomato (I used a “no-salt” one)
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 t. cumin seeds
1 t. Mexican (or regular) oregano
salt to taste
sour cream, cilantro, lime wedges, and cilantro for garnish
rice to serve
Place the beans (check for rocks and debris) into the Insta Pot. Add the water, bay leaves, and seasoning. Set to high pressure and cook for 27 minutes. I let it rest for 10 minutes and then manually vented it thoroughly before proceeding.
In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and habanero, cooking until the onions soften (about 3-4 minutes). Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic, cumin seeds, and Mexican oregano. When the garlic becomes fragrant, add the tomatoes and their juices from the can. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has mostly cooked off and the tomatoes have broken down a little (about another 5-7 minutes). Drain the beans, reserving the bean broth.
Add the beans to the tomato mixture and just enough bean broth to make things a little soupy (unless you want it brothy, in which case go ahead and add however much you want). At this point I added about 1 t. coarse kosher salt from Morton’s. In any case, salt to taste here. Use a potato masher to bust up some of the beans. Then simmer until everything thickens again a bit (about 4-5 minutes).
Double check one more time for seasoning and then serve over white rice, with sour cream, cheese, lime, and cilantro for those that want it. Hot sauce would be welcome too, if the habanero isn’t enough 
Serves 3-4.
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Thank for posting this link. That appears to be an excellent recipe.
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I copied and pasted your recipe. I will use dry pinto beans in lieu of dry black beans. I am not a fan of black beans, but love pinto beans.
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This is a stew. It’s leftover eggplant and mushrooms, with the addition of broccoli and potato and shrimp. It was easy, it was edible, and that’s all I’ll say about it.
a cod stew braised in the oven : olive oil,onion, garlic, celery, tomato, red wildcat pepper, garlic, saffron, white wine, Pernod, fresh thyme and fresh basil
I winged it without looking at a recipe. A restaurant near us features a Provençal fish stew with Pernod once in a while , and that was at the back of my mind.
A somewhat similar fish stew https://www.thekitchenalchemist.co.uk/recipes/2013/12/27/rustic-french-fish-stewj
Since we just highlighted Hawaiian food this past summer, here is a recipe for Hawaiian Beef stew from Hawaiian chef Sam Choy. Hawaiian beef stew is different from mainland beef stews in that it contains tomato, and the beef is dusted with flour before browning which then serves to thicken the stew. When I make this I do NOT add the shoyu or worcestershire sauce, it’s good enough without it.
Sam Choy’s Hawaiian Beef Stew
Ingredients (6–8 servings)
• 3 lb beef chuck, cut into 1½-inch cubes
• 1½ tsp Hawaiian salt (or kosher), plus more to taste
• 1 tsp black pepper
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour (for dredging)
• 3 Tbsp neutral oil
• 1 large Maui or yellow onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp grated ginger (optional)
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 (14–15 oz) can diced tomatoes (with juices)
• 4 cups beef broth (low sodium)
• ¼ cup shoyu (Aloha or Kikkoman)
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)
• 4 medium russet or Yukon potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut into thick coins
• 2 ribs celery, thick-cut
• 1 green bell pepper, 1-inch squares
• ½ cup frozen peas (optional)
• Chopped parsley or green onion, for serving
• Steamed rice, for serving
Directions
Season & sear: Pat beef dry. Toss with salt, pepper, and flour to lightly coat. Heat oil in a heavy pot
(Dutch oven) over medium-high. Sear beef in batches until deeply browned; set aside.
Build the base: In the same pot, lower heat to medium. Add onion; cook 3–4 minutes, scraping browned
bits. Add garlic and ginger; cook 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste; cook 1 min to caramelize.
Liquids & aromatics: Add diced tomatoes, beef broth, shoyu, Worcestershire, bay leaves, and sugar.
Return beef (and juices) to the pot. Bring to a simmer.Slow simmer: Cover, reduce to low, and simmer gently 1½–2 hours, stirring occasionally, until beef is
fork-tender.
Add vegetables: Stir in potatoes, carrots, and celery. Simmer (covered) 20–30 min until just tender. Add
bell pepper for the last 10 minutes so it stays bright. If using peas, stir in at the end.
Adjust & finish: Taste and adjust salt/shoyu and pepper. If you like it thicker, mash a few potato pieces
into the stew or simmer uncovered a few minutes more. Remove bay leaves.
Serve: Ladle over hot rice. Garnish with parsley or green onion.
And yes, we always serve it with rice.
Hmmm. I’m not a native, but I always use tomato (paste) in my beef stew, and dust the beef with seasoned flour.
