Stewing

Stewing applies to a preparation of meat and vegetables which have first been sautéd in a suitable fat to seal the meat and conserve its juices, and to allow it to take on some colour which not only improves the appearance of the dish, but develops the roasted flavours which only appear when meat is subjected to a high temperature (i.e. through frying in fat or grilling). Some liquid is then added and the casserole or heavy pan is lidded and allowed to stew very slowly until the meat is tender. In this twofold process the flavours which are at first contained by sautéing are later released in the process of stewing. Irish stew is probably one of the few exceptions to our definition of a stew, in that there is no previous sautéing of either onions, lamb (or mutton), or potatoes. Stewing temperature is 170 deg. F.