Stop Buying Stew Meat — A Butcher Explains Why Your Stew Is Tough

Most pots of beef stew come out the same way: gray, chewy meat floating in thin brown broth. That was never your fault. After 41 years behind a meat counter, where he cut and packed the stew meat himself, Hank shares the 9 beef stew mistakes he watched folks make, and the butcher's secret about the package labeled "stew meat". You'll learn how big to cut your beef, when to salt it, how to brown it without boiling it gray, how to build a rich flavor base, how much liquid to use, why a hard boil turns stew meat to rubber, when to add the vegetables, the splash that wakes up a flat stew, and why butchers never buy the stew meat package. In this video: - Why small cubes turn into hard little nuggets - Salting the beef the night before - Browning in batches (and the half-brown shortcut) - Onions, tomato paste and the brown bits: your flavor base - Use broth, and just barely cover the meat - Why you should never boil stew on the stove - When to add potatoes and carrots so they don't turn to mush - The one splash that makes any stew taste alive - The truth about the "stew meat" package, and what to buy instead Hank here. 📖 The book I mentioned in this video is part of my 3-book set, The Old Butcher's Counter: buying, cooking, and cutting and keeping meat, all in one place. 👉 https://hankskitchen.store What should I cover next? Tell me below 👇 💬 What did your family always serve with stew: cornbread, biscuits or a thick slice of bread? Tell Hank in the comments. Watch next: 9 Ground Beef Mistakes Everyone Makes (No. 1 Costs 2 Cents to Fix): https://youtu.be/tMPYrejMr_o Hank's Kitchen shares traditional kitchen wisdom from an old butcher's counter. Hank is an AI-generated character. #beefstew #stewmeat #butchertips