The No. 1 Restaurant With the Best Beef Stew, According to Butchers
As we get further into the heart of cold weather, there’s no better time for a hearty beef stew. When done right, nothing hits the spot like a hot, flavorful bowl filled with chunks of quality beef, rich gravy and delicious vegetables. It’s a satisfying meal that warms you from the inside, but not all beef stews are crave-worthy. To help avoid a mediocre dish, Eat This, Not That! asked butchers to reveal their favorite spots for beef stew. Here’s the spot that delivers a truly delicious dish, according to the meat experts.
The Type of Broth Matters
Whether you’re cooking a pot of beef stew at home or you’re dining out, one thing to take note of is the type of broth used. “A beef stew has two basic components that need to be right for the whole dish to be good. You first need a good broth,” says Brad Baych Chef / Butcher / Content Creator at Butcher Wizard and author of Primal Cuts: A Butcher’s Guide to Selecting, Preparing, and Perfecting Beef. “While the beef, carrots, onions etc, is important in building flavor it is crucial to start with a good broth.” He adds, “A good broth is made by making your own beef stock by simmering bones and other aromatics. The flavor that this gives to the final dish is imperative.”
The Quality of Meat is Key
Obviously, the meat is the big draw for a beef stew, and quality matters. “The second component to a good beef stew is the meat,” says Chef Brad. “One needs to select a beef cut that is suitable for cooking for a long time.” He explains, “You want more of a tougher cut of meat that will break down over the cooking process. A chuck roast is the best selection for a beef stew. When stewed for a long period of time, the chuck roast breaks down its tough muscle fibers into tender pieces.” According to Chef Brad “The chuck roast also flavors the broth bolstering its flavor.”
Why Beef Stew is the Ultimate Comfort Food
Beef stew has a major nostalgic factor and taps into memories of home-cooking, family gatherings and cold nights. The smell of the slow-simmered beef and vegetables instantly warms you from the inside out and the taste delivers a tasty fulfilling bite with every spoonful. “On a cold day there is nothing better than a hot bowl of beef stew,” says Chef Brad. “Tender slow cooked pieces of beef with carrots and potatoes and a rich broth, I can’t think of anything better.”
Homecook is the Best
Home cooked meals are always ideal because you can control the quality and ingredients and when it comes to beef stew, Chef Brad says it’s better to make it in your own kitchen. “The problem is most chain restaurants have switched to low quality beef bases instead of making the broth themselves,” he says. “It leads to a low quality end product. I believe a proper beef stew should be made at home.”
Max’s Restaurant
If you don’t feel like whipping up a beef stew at home, Max’s Restaurant earns rave reviews for its Beef Caldereta (beef stew). Max’s Restaurant has a small North American presence with 21 locations, but is well known in the Philippines as a Filipino tradition. People love Max’s Restaurant not just for its food, but for the story behind it. Founded in 1945, in the aftermath of World War II, Max’s began as a small café in the Philippines that offered fried chicken and home-style dishes to American GIs stationed there. Over the decades, it became a beloved gathering place where families celebrated milestones, shared comfort food, and felt a sense of belonging. Beef Caldereta is a staple at Max’s Restaurant and Brian Gunterman, butcher, pitmaster, CEO and Founder of DDR BBQ Supply explains why it’s so good. “Their beef stew is tender and they simmer it rather than boil it and the vegetables do not become soft,” he says. Gunterman adds, “the broth retains that slight sweetness of long caramelization which most chain stores lack. It is consumed like a family recipe and not a chain restaurant dish.”