Bosintang, a Korean dog stew:
In THE BATTLE OF THE OILS, olive oil comfortably won, with coconut oil and vegetable oil coming next in the poll. Given the number of times people mentioned liking avocado oil in the comments of the blog post, this oil should have been included as a poll option. Blame @EnigmaInitiative not me even though she wasn't consulted about the poll!
It's now the turn of stews to do battle. For many of us, it's wintertime and therefore it's stew time. A stew, according to Oxford Languages, "is a dish of meat and vegetables cooked slowly in a closed dish or pan." Strictly speaking, stews should be one-pot or one-pan dishes.
For this poll, I'm including casseroles, cassoulets and ragouts as stews. Though this poll isn't about soups, I readily accept that the distinction between stews and some soups and especially broths (eg shark fin soup) is a fuzzy one.
With this poll, I could go one of two ways. Either name the meat and vegetable as the primary ingredient of a stew or name a stew recipe. I've decided the former, rightly or wrongly. Almost every region in the world, especially in Britain, France, Hungary, Spain, the Philippines and Turkey, has their own version of a stew. Given that I found at least 200 different types of stews, and I even hadn't finished my searches, I decided I need to simplify the poll. I decided to list generic stews, like beef, chicken and lamb stew, as poll options with examples given for each, supplemented by a few special and popular stews.
My favourite types of stews are bean stew, beef bourgignon (a French beef stew made with Burgundy red wine), beef Stroganoff/Stroganov, chili con carne, fish soup (without fish heads), goulash (a Hungarian beef stew well seasoned with paprika), Irish stew, Lancashire hotpot, rendang and vegetable stew. This is tough choosing my favourite stew. It's between beef bourgignon, beef Stroganoff and rendang. But rendang gets my vote, not least because I want to eat the dish right now - see photo below. This Indonesian/Malaysian beef stew is simply exquisite, and if you haven't tried it I strongly recommend you do. The beef, marinated overnight and then slowly cooked in coconut milk and spices, is just succulent to eat, and the accompanying peanut-based satay sauce and the bed of usually coconut rice just makes for a perfect dish unless of course you are vegan!
Rendang and rice, an Indonesia/Malaysian beef stew:
There's quite a few stews I wouldn't eat in a month of Sundays. Camel, coypu/nutria, dog, eel, guinea pig/cuy, horse, kangaroo, offal, rat, silkworm pupa, snail/escargot, snake, squirrel, tripe, veal and wallaby stew come immediately to mind. But of the stews I've eaten, my least favourite types of stews are goat stew, mutton stew (mutton has a bad smell and taste compared to lamb ), pork stew (I'm just not a fan of pork meat unless it's bacon or sausages), rabbit/hare stew, ratatouille and shellfish stew. But my worst stew is paella, especially a seafood paella - see photo below. Sorry Valencia! I remember going to a posh dinner party when paella was served. I struggled to eat while pretending to the host, an accomplished cook, that I was enjoying his dish. Sometimes it's not easy being polite!
What are your most and least favourite types of stews?
What stews do you normally eat?
What meats and vegetables do you regularly use when cooking a stew?
I always enjoy eating beef, lamb and fish stews, less so chicken and pork stews. I've not made many conventional stews like beef, chicken, lamb, pork and vegetable stews. But as a student, chili con carne (always with red kidney beans) was part of my staple diet. Once, I made ratatouille for a family meal; my brother vomited after his first mouthful! At the time I couldn't see how a vegetable stew can make anyone vomit and I passed the incident off as my brother not getting his meat. My Mum and Dad ate their plate of ratatouille without complaint though I suspect they were just being polite! To this day, I've never made that dish again. Bloody brother!
Below is a poll where you can anonymously select your most favourite type of stew cheese. Unfortunately only one pick is allowed in the poll.
A poll on this site can only have a maximum of 20 answer options. Unfortunately there was no room in the poll for: ají de gallina, asam pedas, bacon stew (eg Birnen, Bohnen and Speck, tatwys pum munud), balbacua, bamia, bicol express, Blindhuhn, booyah, bison/buffalo stew (eg Tanka-Me-A-Lo), Bosanski Ionac, brongkos, cabbage stew, callaloo, camel stew, caribou stew,, carne mechada, chairo, chakapuli, cholent, cocido lebaniego, coypu/nutria stew, cream stew, dimlama, dog stew (eg bosintang), duck stew, eel stew, elk/moose stew (eg Rocky Mountain elk stew), emu stew, fahsa, fårikål, feijoad, fesenjān, flaki, főzelék, fricot, Gaisburger Marsch, gammon stew (eg campfire stew), ghapama, gheimeh, ghormeh sabzi, goose stew, ginataang kalabasa, ginataang labosa, grouse/ptarmigan stew, Guinea fowl stew, guinea pig/cuy stew, güveç, Guyana Pepperpot, hachee, hamburger stew, hamin, ham stew, hochepot, horse stew (eg zoerveis), hot pot, islim kebai, Istrian stew, jjigae, kalops, kamounia, kangaroo stew, kare-kare, Karelian hot pot, khoresh karafs, kig ha farz, kontomire stew, korma, kuru fasulye, läskisoosi, lengua stew, lobby, maafe, mazamorra, mechado, mjave lobio, moambe, moqueca, ndolé, nihari, nikujaga, nilaga, offal stew (eg callos, dinuguan, guatitas, mocotó, phá lấu, sekba), Oil Down, or lam, ostrich stew, oxtail stew, palaver sauce, paomo, partridge stew, pepián, pheasant stew, Philadelphia Pepper Pot, Pichelsteiner, pigeon stew, pinangat, pindang, pottage, pozole, pupa stew, rat stew, red cooked pork, reindeer stew (eg renskav), rogan josh, rössypottu, saltah, sambar, scouse (a stew once popular in Liverpool, hence the term scousers for Liverpudlians), seco, semur, shiro, sinigang, Skirts and Kidneys, snail/escargot stew (eg babbalucci), snake stew, squirrel stew, sulu köfte, tharid, tocană, tomato bredie, tripe stew (eg pacal pörkölt), turkey stew, venison stew, waknatoy, wallaby stew, wat, waterblommetjiebredie, wild boar stew, yak stew, and zúzapörkölt. Sorry for the long list, blame Wikipedia!
I think beef stew will win the poll, but chicken stew, gumbo, lamb stew and vegetable stew may do well in the battle.
Please see the first comment below to see what has won each battle of the food and drinks so far.
Paella de marisco, a Spanish seafood rice stew:
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33 comments
For the record, Brussels sprouts won THE BATTLE OF THE VEGETABLES, bananas won THE BATTLE OF THE FRUITS, basil won THE BATTLE OF THE HERBS, garlic won THE BATTLE OF THE SPICES, cashew nuts won THE BATTLE OF THE NUTS, sunflower seeds won THE BATTLE OF THE SEEDS, roast beef won THE BATTLE OF THE ROAST DINNERS, cheesecake won THE BATTLE OF THE PUDDINGS, pepperoni won THE BATTLE OF THE PIZZA TOPPINGS, Caesar salad won THE BATTLE OF THE SALADS, green beans won THE BATTLE OF THE BEANS, watermelon won THE BATTLE OF THE MELONS, tomato-based pasta sauce won THE BATTLE OF THE HOT SAUCY DIPS, barbecue sauce won THE BATTLE OF THE COOL SAUCY DIPS, vanilla ice cream won THE BATTLE OF THE ICE CREAMS, capellini (aka angel hair) won THE BATTLE OF THE PASTAS, steak won THE BATTLE OF THE BARBECUE, romaine lettuce won THE BATTLE OF THE LETTUCES, honeycrisp apples won THE BATTLE OF THE APPLES, stout won THE BATTLE OF THE BEERS, whisky won THE BATTLE OF THE SPIRITS, clam chowder won THE BATTLE OF THE SOUPS, sourdough bread won THE BATTLE OF THE BREADS, liver won THE BATTLE OF THE OFFAL, roast turkey won THE BATTLE OF CHRISTMAS FOODS, Old Fashioned won THE BATTLE OF THE COCKTAILS, Americano coffee won THE BATTLE OF THE COFFEES, English breakfast tea won THE BATTLE OF THE TEAS, maple syrup won THE BATTLE OF THE PANCAKES, barbecue sauce won THE BATTLE OF THE CONDIMENTS, ribeye steak won THE BATTLE OF THE STEAKS, portobello mushrooms won THE BATTLE OF THE MUSHROOMS, beefsteak tomatoes won THE BATTLE OF THE TOMATOES, barbecue crisps won THE BATTLE OF THE CRISPS, strawberries won THE BATTLE OF THE BERRIES, crab won THE BATTLE OF THE SHELLFISH, vanilla yogurt won THE BATTLE OF THE YOGURTS, jasmine rice won THE BATTLE OF THE RICE, chicken wings won THE BATTLE OF HOT FINGER FOODS, cheeses won THE BATTLE OF COLD FINGER FOODS, dry red wine won THE BATTLE OF THE WINES, tap water won THE BATTLE OF WATER, blueberry muffins won THE BATTLE OF THE MUFFINS, cheese won THE BATTLE OF THE CHARCUTERIE, cow milk hard cheese won THE BATTLE OF THE CHEESE, burgers won THE BATTLE OF FAST FOOD, and olive oil won THE BATTLE OF THE OILS.
It's incredible i love
Everyone seems to love a good stew.
@spunkycumfun Absolutely
I make a bad ass Venison stew.
I've never eaten venison. Thanks for stopping by to comment.
Brunswick Stew
I've never had Brunswick stew. Thanks for stopping by.
My favorite stew is beef with vegetables, (potatoes, carrots, onions, peas) with a dark malty ale or porter for the liquid base. I used to cook one up in the Crockpot at least once a month in th late Fall and Winter months till beef got so expensive. I miss eating it. It reheated very well too. (Of course I sauted the onions and mushrooms in butter first.)
I love ale to be in my beef stews (and pies).
@spunkycumfun It does lend a tasty bit of complex flavor and aroma to a stew.
@justskin1 Beer and beef, one of life's great combinations. A bit like chocolate and mint!
Gumbo
Specifically shrimp 🦐 gumbo
I've never had a gumbo. I need to start living!
@spunkycumfun yes
@spunkycumfun perfect with crayfish etouffee
@bignicktx I've not eaten crayfish.
Japanese-style curry! I love making it..
I've never had a Japanese-style curry. It sounds good though.
I love beef and Irish stew so it was a difficult choice to go with the chili. However, my favourite chili has large chunks of beef in it, too. I used to make a great chili, not too spicy and very favourful and beefy. Regrettably, I lost the recipe years ago.
That's an unusual chili con carne with chunks of beef in rather than minced beef meat, but I'd certainly tuck into and enjoy the dish.
@spunkycumfun It is spicy and flavourful like chili, but with bite size tender chunks of stew-like beef. I'm not big on vegetables, so this way I get the beef with a health assortment of beans and spices. I'm starting to get hungry . . .
@RUmytranny It sounds a great dish.
I chose Beef stew, but I"m not a huge fan. I"m more of a soup and salad girl, the more veggies, the better!
There's always vegetable stew without any meat.
My fav is beef stew. Its warm and hearty. It was one of the few dishes my mother could cook well
My go to stews are beef and chicken. I always add onion, carrot and celery. Then depending on which flavor palate I might add potatoes, corn, green beans, tomatoes, etc.
Beef stew is the runaway leader in the poll.
Venison stew
I've never had venison stew. In fact, I've never eaten venison.
Thanks for stopping by.
@spunkycumfun You need to try! Like a good beef stew! Made with a mushroom sauce, beer braised or same as a beef stew.
@ripon651 I couldn't eat Bambi!
@spunkycumfun You eat beef, chicken and fish! NO difference
@ripon651 True.
Brunswick Stew
I've never tried Brunswick stew.
I like beef tongue stew. Haven't had that in a while, tho.
I'm not a great fan of red kidney beans, so I tend to make my chili with green beans.
I'd give beef tongue stew a miss. I don't mind touching a tongue when kissing but not when eating!
I went for goulash since that was the last stew I had, probably 15 years ago in Czechia.
Goulash is a great stew. I had goulash in Budapest.
I am a big fan of the Paella. My dad would make this for all of us at home. The sad thing for him, he couldn't eat it because he was allergic to seafood. His dad couldn't smell shellfish cooking or else he would break out in hives. Fortunate for me I don't have that type of allergy and I can have it with no ill effects.
Your Dad was very unselfish making paella for everyone bar him.
@spunkycumfun My dad was that kind of guy. He would buy over a period of time all the ingredients to make the Paella. He wouldn't chinze on it either. OMG, everyone who sat at the table had plenty to enjoy. I miss my dad, not because he was a great cook but because of his generosity and how he brought the family together at the table.
@CallMeMrWrong69 Your Dad sounded magic.
Paella "mixta"
I would have put money on you voting for a paella!
@spunkycumfun And it's not nationalist chauvinism—it's just that I really love the dish when it's well made
@AuraAviatik6 A lot of people like paella.
It's funny you did this battle, as yesterday I made a big pot of homemade beef stew. I use beef stew meat, potatoes and carrots and celery in a rich beef gravy. I would love to put onions in mine but hubby doesn't like onions. It was so good and it's such a comfort on a cold day.
I hope you enjoy a wonderful weekend..
Beef stew is great on a cold day.
Voted goulash
My favorite is variant of veal stew with okra. Slow cooked bite sized veal, chopped onions and carrots and small sized okra added last hour or so. With some garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns and smoked paprika.
I love pasulj that traditional Balkan winter meal. Cooked with some smoked bacon or smoked ribs. With or without addition of sausages
Not to brag but I make them both and my friends love them, especially okra stew that I serve for some parties.
Pasulj is more family style meal and not served at parties.
Now I’m hungry 😁
I was very tempted to vote for goulash. I had my best goulash in Budapest.
Given your expansive scope here, selecting just one was tough. But I went with beef stew.
Chicken, chili, gumbo, seafood, paella are also favorites, but some of them I don't get often.
This stew poll was a difficult one to compile given the sheer numbers of stews there are.
Gumbo!
I've heard all about gumbo but I've never tried it. I've never seen it being served up here in Britain.
@flannel_light It's the shellfish that puts me off gumbo though I realise gumbo can be served without shellfish.