Pantry to Pan

Techniques › Heat and cooking methods

Stewing

Beginner Heat and cooking methods

Slowly simmering small pieces of food fully covered in liquid until tough cuts turn tender.

By , founder of Pantry to Pan · Published · Updated

Written with AI help from the sources listed, and published by Cory. Sources: USDA safe minimum internal temperatures, USDA on the danger zone (40-140°F). Spot a mistake? Tell us and we'll fix it.

How do you do it?

  1. Cut meat into 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunks, pat dry, and brown in batches in a heavy pot.

    1Cut meat into 1 1/2 to 2 inch chunks, pat dry, and brown in batches in a heavy pot.

  2. Add aromatics, then enough liquid to just cover everything.

    2Add aromatics, then enough liquid to just cover everything.

  3. Bring to a bare simmer, with only small bubbles breaking the surface, cover, and cook 1 1/2 to 3 hours.

    3Bring to a bare simmer, with only small bubbles breaking the surface, cover, and cook 1 1/2 to 3 hours.

  4. Add quick-cooking vegetables in the last 30-45 minutes; stop when meat breaks apart with a fork.

    4Add quick-cooking vegetables in the last 30-45 minutes; stop when meat breaks apart with a fork.

Why does it work?

Tough cuts are full of collagen, which slowly melts into gelatin with long, gentle, moist heat. That gelatin makes the meat tender and gives the liquid body.

What are the common mistakes?

Still stuck? Watch someone do it on YouTube.

Learn by cooking. In Pantry to Pan, technique words in your recipes' steps link straight to guides like this one, right when you need them.
Try it free for 14 days

More heat and cooking methods