Dale Shipp wrote to Jim Weller <=-

This recipe reminds me of something that seems to be of some
discussion. Namely, do you brown the meat in a stew or not?

I never saw the point to searing the meat "to hold the flavours/juices
in" when I am going to bung it into my stew pot and cook it in liquid
to leach those flavours out.

Most recipes will call for the meat to be "browned" but some do not. I
seldom sear/brown the meat unless I am using part of it in another
recipe where it is needed to be partially cooked ... which is darned
seldom. Bv)=

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: Texas Campfire Chili
Categories: Soup/stew, Main dish, Meat
Yield: 4 Servings

1 1/2 lb Trimmed chuck
-- cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 md Onion; chopped

8<----- SNIP ----->B

1. Brown meat and onions; drain.

The point here seems to be cooking some of the onion flavour into the
beef.

When I am making chilli I usually cook all of the "dry" ingredients --
meat, vegetables, herbs together before adding them to the chilli pot
and bunging in the liquid. Especially if using minced/ground beef as it
lets me break up any tendency for the mince to clump together and make
lumpy chilli.

This is one of the recipes I have collected which does no include searing/browning the meat although it does have you cook/stir-fry the
meat and onions to infuse the onion flavour into the meat.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Hamim De Kastanya (Beef & Chestnut Stew)
Categories: Beef, Stews, Potatoes, Nuts
Yield: 4 Servings

3 tb Oil
1 c Onions; chopped
2 tb Tomato paste
2 lb Boneless beef; in 1/2" cubes
3 c Water
1 lb Potatoes; peeled; into 1/2"
- cubes
1 lb Chestnuts; roasted, peeled
1 ts Salt; to taste
1/4 c Flat-leaf parsley; chopped,
- (garnish)

Chestnuts are grown in Turkey and are available from
September to April. On street corners or busy thoroughfares
you will find the vendors selling the roasted chestnuts from
their movable carts, toasting them on metal grills. These
chestnuts are purchased roasted and can be easily peeled for
inclusion in the kastanya.

"Hamim" is a word used in Baghdad and Calcutta to indicate
that the dish is being prepared for the Sabbath. I asked
several Jewish ladies if they used the word or knew of its
meaning, but they could not explain its use in this recipe.
The recipe is an old one and time erases the fine points of
its genesis.

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions, and stir-fry over
moderate heat for 2 minutes, or until they turn golden
brown. Add the tomato paste and beef and stir-fry for 3
minutes more. Add the water, bring to a boil, cover the pan,
and cook until the meat is tender, about 45 minutes, and
some liquid remains.

Add the potatoes, chestnuts, and salt. Simmer over low
heat for 15 to 20 minutes, adding 1/2 cup water if the
liquid has evaporated too quickly. All ingredients should be
soft at this stage and with substantial sauce remaining.

Serve warm garnished with the parsley.

Serves 8 with Turkish pilaf.

NOTE: To toast the chestnuts so that they can be easily
peeled, cut or slice out large gash in the nutshell. They
can then be baked in a 350 degree F oven for 15 minutes, or
in a Teflon skillet on top of the stove until charred. Cool
and then peel.

Sometimes I cut a large part of the shell off with a
serrated knife, put the chestnuts in a pan, cover with hot
water, and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. It is then
easy to drain, cool, and peel.

Recipe: "Sephardic Cooking" by Copeland Mark -- 600 Recipes
Created in Exotic Sephardic Kitchens from Morocco to India

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