The Unexpected Ingredient That Gives Beef Stew A Punch Of Flavor
If you want to step up your beef stew game this sweater season there's a secret ingredient that will give bland stew the flavor kick it needs: Fruit chutney. It may seem peculiar, but fruit chutney creates an ideal balance of sweet and savory that is perfect for changing up the flavor profile of this hearty dish. It's common knowledge that seasonings can add more flavor to plain stew but instead of adding more and more salt and pepper, try eliciting your other tastebuds by adding something sweet and tangy to perfect your favorite fall dish.
Adding fruit to stew is nothing new — many trace the combination back to North African origins, specifically in Moroccan Tagine. Although different than beef stew, tagine is also made with a combination of meats and spices and is often made with dried fruit like apricots and raisins. In fact, tagine is often referred to as Moroccan beef stew, so it follows that the fruity flavors that work in tagine would also pair wonderfully with traditional beef stews. Before using fruit chutney in your stew, you might want to learn more about this condiment that's no stranger to being served over meat.
What exactly is chutney?
Fruit chutney, a condiment with Southeast Asian origins, is commonly made with dried fruit (in addition to fresh fruit) and includes sugar and vinegar to give it a sweet and sour flavor. It'sa savory, sometimes tangy or spicy condiment, with a jelly or jam-like texture. Originating in India, this versatile relish is often served on rice, meat, bread, and curry dishes — you might also find some on your charcuterie board to pair with cheeses.
A popular flavor, mango chutney is a sweet and spicy jam commonly used in Indian cooking as a spread or sauce. It's also often used as a marinade for meat, which is another reason why it makes sense to use it to amplify the flavor of your beef stew. It can be made as spicy or as sweet as you want depending on the amount of sugar, spices, and red chiles you add. Besides mango, other chutney varieties that could work well in stew include apple, cherry, peach, pear, and mixed fruit.
It's easy enough to find pre-made chutney at your local supermarket in various flavors and levels of spiciness that would add magnificent flavor to your beef stew. But you can also make your own at home and customize the spices and fruits to your personal preferences. You can go the traditional route and use a mortar and pestle to grind the ingredients or speed things up with a food processor.
Other ingredients and cooking tips for more flavor
Fruit chutney is sure to add a burst of flavor to your stew but keep in mind that if you're whipping up your own chutney at home, some recipes require time for it to set or mature (sometimes even for a month or longer). If you don't want to go the tedious homemade chutney route, there are other ways to take your beef stew from boring to mouthwatering in a flash. When asked, "How do you add flavor to your stew?," users on Reddit responded with ingredients like Worcestershire sauce, red wine, bacon, mushrooms, soy sauce, bay leaves, anchovies, and even stout. Depending on what flavors you want to really shine in your stew, you can add in extra ingredients to really amplify the savory, sweet, or umami tastes that you're after.
There's also consensus that deglazing the pot is an important step when it comes to making flavorful beef stew. What this means is that after browning the meat, add liquid like broth, beer, or red wine to the pot and stir it while it simmers, scraping all the leftover bits from the browned meat into the mixture. This adds a ton of flavor to the stew and might just be the crucial step you are missing. Rest assured, you can easily switch up the boring flavor profile of your stew by incorporating this cooking technique and adding fruit chutney to make your beef stew really stand out.