I'm thinking about cooking beef stew again and I have been seeing posts about using, for lack of better word, dark beers, like Guinness, in beef stew. I typically use a dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon and beef broth as the liquids when cooking beef stew. Are there any advantages for using beers like Guinness over red wine? Are there any other red wines or beers I could consider using?
>>20426402¯\_(ツ)_/¯
It's liquid. You could use anything. Beer, wine, broth, urine. The sky is the limit.
>>20426402It'll be a matter emphasizing savory or cutting it with a bit of the fruity acidity, playing into herbs, etc. In le metro i would expect the latter and a higher price tag, in the midwest and south i would expect the beered stuff on $12.99 special from a family restaurant with shitty service and those transparent red plastic cups (probably dirty). Both establishments are worth coming back to
Either is fine as long as you're not a retard about it IE don't add them without reducing first. Also, even other wines or beers can work nicely. I've made a beef stew with a dry white (don't remember what it was since I buy it; it was a bottle gifted to guests at a wedding I attended) and it lent a, for lack of a better word, brighter flavour. It almost made the stew taste more summery or as though it would be good in spring (which is when I made it, iirc). I've also made stew with sour beer which was... different. Not gonna lie, I wouldn't do it again, but it wasn't awful.As for advantages of Guinness vs wine, ime, no, not really. Using my season-comparison from since, Guinness makes stew taste deeply wintery to me while wine gives it an autumnal quality, if that makes sense
>>20426459>don't remember what it was since I buy itSince I DIDN'T buy it, rather.
>>20426436I generally favor savory flavors for stews. I have been also trying to experiment with herbs, but I find fresh thyme and bay leaf has been the best so far.>>20426459I do reduce liquids when making stew. I'm mostly trying to exit my autistic comfort zones by sticking to ingredients that I like and try to improve how well the flavors I do like come out and possibly find new flavors to enjoy.
>>20426555You can overdo it, porters and stouts are very malty, bordering bitter. Will contribute a lot of rich body to the broth and sort of amplify saltiness. Not sure what your stock strategy is but I might sub 1/8 or so of your usual for water to leave the beer some room to breathe. It's like decadent and comforting with beer vs refined and nuanced with wine. Like what >>20426459 says.
>>20426402guinness can ruin a stew too, thoughit can taste iron-rich and kind of metallic
>>20426402>Are there any advantages for using beers like Guinness over red wineYes, guinness has lots of glutamates in it which really add depth to the flavor. But personally I prefer using red wine and getting the glutamates from a dollop of marmite or a couple of anchovies.
I prefer red wine because it is cheaper than beer
>>20426701>glutamates from a dollop of marmiteI just use tomato.
>>20426749So do I, but I also add a tsp of colatura di alici to kick it up another few notches.
>>20426749I use a tube of concentrated tomato paste personally, 1-2 tablespoons. Cento, I believe>>20426723Cost is not an issue unless the ingredient is highly perishable and I don't use most of it within a short period of time>>20426701>red wine and getting glutamates from a dollop of marmite or a couple of anchovies.I might try this, though I use soy sauce with red wine, maybe I might try this >>20426754, too.>>20426587I must admit that I'm a bit of a cooklet ant that there really isn't a strategy, except, tweak ingredients, taste end results, learn from mistakes and make adjustments for next attempt.
>>20426402Beer is not as acidic and fruity as rey wine but rather on the sweet side. Even dry beers like schwarzbier.
>>20426402https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fok7sdsq-k
>>20426402red wine adds an acid flavor, beer adds a bitter flavor. generally since stew beef is a tough cut and somewhat fatty with the connective tissue an acid is better but you can certainly use a beer just make sure there's a different acid added somewhere else in the stew
>>20426839throw in some miso instead of soy sauce, soy sauce being a fermented sauce breaks down at high heat, the miso will keep it's flavor and salitness
>>20426839You must try worshtershire & tamari or coconut aminos, 50/50 ratio I usually add 1/6th cup of each. Please come back and post about it once you have discovered this magical combo.
