America's Test Kitchen
Season 7 Episode 3 - Best Beef Stew
Join us as we uncover the secrets behind a favorite beef stew and streamline a hearty side dish. A basic beef stew can be altered in dozens of ways, usually by adding more ingredients to the pot. But can you go the other way and strip beef stew down to its bare bones (or, to be more precise, to its beef)? If you trade the carrots and potatoes for a mess of onions and add a good dose of beer (instead of red wine) as part of the braising liquid, you’ve created a simple Belgian beef stew called carbonnade à la flamande. Beef, beer, and onions have a natural affinity—think burger, onion rings, and a beer. In a carbonnade, the heartiness of beef melds with the soft sweetness of sliced onions in a lightly thickened broth that is rich, deep, and satisfying, with the malty flavor of beer. We aimed to create the very best version of this cold-weather favorite. Sweet acorn squash makes a worthy partner alongside carbonnade or with many other dishes during the cold weather season, but too often this squash turns out dry and stringy. We wanted to devise a method that ensured sweet, tender squash, without a lot of hassle. Recipes: Carbonnade a la Flamande—Belgian Beef, Beer, and Onion Stew Acorn Squash with Brown Sugar Acorn Squash with Rosemary-Dried Fig Compote Tasting Lab: Beer for Carbonnade Equipment Center: Paring Knives—Updated Science Desk: Are All Microwaves Created Equal?
Episodes in Season 7
Meatloaf Dinner
25 min
Streamlined Chicken Skillet Suppers
25 min
Best Beef Stew
25 min
Sunday Roast Chicken and Stuffing
25 min
Two Ways with Pork
25 min
Faster Family Favorites
25 min
Lighter Family Favorites
25 min
Fish and Chips at Home
25 min
Chicken Kiev
25 min
Meat and Potatoes for Company
25 min
Staying in For Chinese Take-Out
25 min
Not Your Average Stir-Fry
25 min
More Tex-Mex Favorites
25 min
Even More Italian Classics
25 min
Flambé at Home
25 min
Hearty Eggs for Breakfast
25 min
Summer Cooking
25 min
Barbecued Brisket and Corn Fritters
25 min
Beer Can Chicken Dinner
25 min
Rainy Day Barbecue
25 min
Strawberry Cream Cake
25 min
Dark Chocolate Desserts
25 min
Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake
25 min
Easy Apple Desserts
25 min
Favorite Citrus Desserts
25 min
Lighter Cheesecake
25 min
