FOOD NEWS
Cook Your Next Chili With Stew Meat And Thank Us Later
By Jess Jeziorowski
When it comes to chili, the meat is the backbone. It carries the flavors of whatever you put in, but if you're tired of the usual ground beef, stew meat is a great upgrade.
Using stew meat instead of ground beef in homemade chili brings a heartiness to the dish. It also absorbs the flavors of the chili, creating a velvety, inherently meaty sauce.
Stew meat is from the less-tender cuts of beef and pork. The cuts are tough with lots of connective tissues, so a good, moist, low-and-slow cook is necessary.
As the meat cooks, it tenderizes, while the fat adds body to the liquid it's cooked in. You can do a one-for-one swap by weight of ground beef to stew meat.
The best way to incorporate stew meat into your chili is by using a pressure or slow cooker. Sear the meat until it's got a nice brown color, but don't cook it all the way through.
Remove the meat, throw chopped onions and bell peppers into the pot, and follow the recipe as directed. Put the meat back in when you add the liquid ingredients, and let it simmer.