It often amazed me how malnourished most pod pilots looked. Relying on their tube fed protein goop for sustenance, many of us had alienated ourselves from our own humanity, from the enjoyments that came from the simpler things in life. Things like a good stew. 

There were many opinions on stews, goulashes, curries – thick and beefy, watery and savoury, a combination of both, and none, a good curry trumps all. As a CSM hopeful who happened to have a passion for cooking, it was important for me to thoroughly educate myself on the many intricacies of a fine stew.

HEARTY BEEF STEW

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb cubed beef stew meat
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tbsp paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 1/2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 1 stalk celery, sliced
• 2 potatoes, cubed
• 1/2 lb mushrooms, quartered
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf

METHOD

1. Place beef stew meat into a slow cooker. In a small bowl, mix together flour, paprika, salt, and pepper; sprinkle over beef stew meat, stirring to coat. Stir in beef broth, teriyaki sauce, onion, carrots, celery, potatoes, mushrooms, garlic and bay leaf.
2. Cover, and cook on Low 6 hours, stirring occasionally.

This is a favourite amongst Minmatar, and often considered the manliest of stews.

BEEF GOULASH

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 700g stewing steak, cut into chunks
• 30g plain flour
• 1 large Onion, thinly sliced
• 2 clove Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 green pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp tomato puréé
• 2 tbsp Paprika
• 2 large Tomatoes, diced
• 75ml dry White wine
• 300ml beef stock, home-made or shop-bought
• 2 tbsp flat leaf Parsley, chopped
• black pepper
• 150ml Soured cream

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 170 C.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a casserole dish or heavy-based saucepan.
3. Sprinkle the steak with the flour and brown well, in batches, in the hot casserole dish. Set the browned meat aside.
4. Add in the remaining olive oil. Add in the onion, garlic, green pepper and red pepper to the casserole dish and fry until softened, around 5 minutes.
5. Return the beef to the pan with the tomato puree and paprika. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
6. Add in the tomatoes, white wine and beef stock. Cover and bake in the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes. Alternatively, cover and cook it on the hob on a gentle heat for about an hour, removing the lid after 45 minutes.
7. Sprinkle over the parsley and season well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir in the soured cream and serve.

Often considered a plate for the more sophisticated palette, a good goulash does indeed satisfy when prepared correctly. Serving immediately is crucial to its enjoyment.

BEEF CURRY

INGREDIENTS

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 5 green chile peppers, finely sliced
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 3 whole cardomom seeds
• 2 whole cloves
• 1 1/2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 cup water
• 2 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 – 1/2 inch pieces

METHOD

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue cooking and stirring until the onion is very tender and dark brown, 15 to 20 minutes more.
2. Stir in the garlic, green chiles, ginger paste, cardamom seeds, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. Cook and stir until the garlic begins to brown, 3 to 5 more minutes.
3. Mix cumin, coriander, turmeric, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and water into the onion mixture. Simmer until most of the water has evaporated and the mixture has thickened.
4. Stir in beef chuck pieces until coated with spice mixture; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the beef is cooked through and tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Not for the weak of heart, or stomach, a good curry can be satisfying. Overdo it though and you won’t want to spend any continuous time in your pod, that’s for sure.

Educate yourself. Make informed decisions. Have an experienced opinions. Over here at Roc’s Ramblings we’ve been doing recipes up right for over four years. What do these other candidates know about stew? Where’s the proof? I think the truth will always speak for itself.

Roc the Vote.