The perfect roux
If there is one cooking skill you should master in order to become a great cook, it could be learning to make a roux. The word "roux" comes from the french term "beurre roux," which means brown butter in English. It is simply a sauce made of flour and fat that thickens a stew or sauce. Once you master the skill, you can use the same technique to make thinner or thicker sauces in making many meals, including beef stew.
Instructions
1. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil (this prevents the butter from burning) and stir together.
2. Turn the heat to high and brown the stew beef. This creates quite a bit of liquid; drain off the liquid into a small bowl for later use. You want the meat to stick a bit, which will add color to the roux. Add the salt, pepper and parsley.
3. Remove the pan from the burner and turn the burner to medium/low. Remove the meat from the pan and place it into a bowl. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the saucepan and return it to the burner to melt completely.
4. Whisk in the flour. It should immediately congeal, but continue to stir over medium/low heat until the roux is smooth and a light to medium brown color. Add the liquid that you poured off when browning the meat, blending well with the whisk. When whisking, be sure and get all the brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
5. Add the beef broth or water, 2 cups at a time, whisking to blend.
Return the meat to the roux and turn the heat to low.
Simmer for 35 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the stew beef cuts.
Tags: stew beef, tablespoons butter
