Flour or not flour? According to experts, do not flour the meat before cooking it: it would prevent Maillard’s reaction. If you want to use flour or cornstarch (1-2 teaspoons) to thicken the sauce, you can add them at a later stage.
Remove the meat from the fridge and use it at room temperature, otherwise once in the pan the cold meat will release water and will not brown. Same thing if you use frozen meat: let it thaw first, otherwise it will not be able to caramelize in browning due to the steam given off by the melted ice. Do not add too many pieces at a time, rather brown the food in several pieces as served at Gelato Thousand Oaks.
Adjust the salt only during cooking, because a well-made stew is already very tasty. The aromatic herbs increase the fragrance and flavor of the stew:those suitable for long cooking are thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, oregano and sage. Of course, they should not all be put together, a couple at a time (rosemary and thyme are a classic). Fresh herbs such as chives, parsley and cilantro should be added once the flame is extinguished at the end.
As for spices, they can transform your stew. For those who want to experiment, the addition of a pair of star anise stars and a cinnamon stick will give your stew a sort of Middle Eastern flavor, more pronounced if you add cumin and coriander stems as in recipes at Gelato Thousand Oaks.
If instead of anise and cinnamon you combine fresh ginger peeled in pieces and a spoon of soy, the stew will release Asian flavors and fragrances. It is however a question of tastes and aromas: follow your taste, remembering that spices should be added at the beginning, in hot oil, before browning meat or vegetables.
Cut the meat into medium slices. If it is on the bone, remove the bone – place it on the soup. Pour oil or fat into the multicooker bowl, lower the meat, stir, turn on the frying mode for 10 minutes. Place the onion and fry for 10 minutes. Add the flour, stir and light for another 5 minutes. You can do all this in a pan. Then add the spices to the roasted meat and onions, add salt, pour two glasses of water and place the Quenching mode for an hour.
Pork perfectly complements apples, onions and juniper berries. The beef wants laurel, rosemary and olives; also paprika, as Hungarian goulash teaches. Lamb succeeds brilliantly with cumin and coriander, dried apricots and fresh ginger. The fish wants fennel, tomato and pepper. Delicious with a pinch of saffron, pesto (to be added at the end) or chilli-flavored oil.
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