Substitution for beef (veal) in a stew
I have a recipe for an Italian stew that is pretty much just caramelized onions and juice from tomatoes plus veal. My partner does not eat veal so we've substituted stewing beef to good effect, though it takes longer to cook and is not quite as tender.
I'd like to make the dish for some friends of ours, but they don't eat beef of any kind. We've tried it with chicken in the past but the chicken came out tough; we probably cooked it too long. The veal cooks for 1.5-2 hours over very low heat, the stewing beef is more to the 2 hour end, if not a little more. Can I successfully substitute chicken or pork and not have it come out tough? Any pointers on how long to cook it, or how to know when it's cooked but not overcooked?
Thanks!
Best Answer
I'd suggest skinless bone-in chicken thighs, as they have plenty of fat and collagen to keep them moist and tasty. I've cooked them in French-style wine-based stews, not to mention cacciatorre, for 2-3 hours before now and they just fall off the bone.
It is virtually impossible to overcook them, unless you boil them mercilessly for hours. Just get a nice gentle simmer going - not only will this make the meat tender, but it will improve the flavour of the tomato sauce as well.
Do not use chicken breast - it is far too lean.
Pictures about "Substitution for beef (veal) in a stew"
Quick Answer about "Substitution for beef (veal) in a stew"
Pork is considered the best veal substitute, despite coming from a completely different species. The reason is that when looking for veal taste, pork meat is probably the closest to what authentic veal tastes like. Pork has a mild but interesting taste, it's juicy and tender and generally just closer to veal than beef.What can I substitute for veal in a recipe?
The 5 Best Substitutes for Ground Veal- 1 \u2013 Ground Lamb. The main trick with ground lamb is to mix the meat well before cooking it. ...
- 2 \u2013 Ground Pork. The best way to substitute ground veal is with ground pork. ...
- 3 \u2013 Ground Chicken. ...
- 4 \u2013 Ground Beef. ...
- 5 \u2013 Ground Turkey.
Is veal similar to ground beef?
What is the difference between beef and veal? The difference between beef and veal is that beef is from older cattle whereas veal is the meat of younger cattle. 'English Rose' veal or high welfare veal has a distinct light pink colour, beef being a darker red.What can I use instead of beef in beef stew?
Game. Lean cuts of game such as venison and bison are ideal for replacing beef stew meat in recipes. The game meat requires the same cooking process to tenderize it as tough cuts of beef for stewing. Look for stew cuts of bison or venison from specialty meat markets or a friendly neighborhood hunter.Can I use lamb instead of veal?
Both veal and lamb are more tender than their older versions, beef and mutton. However, they have their differences too. Lamb tends to have a gamier taste than veal does, although that can be expected as meat from sheep tends to have a generally gamier taste than meat from cattle does anyway.At Home with Chef Anthony - Veal Stew
More answers regarding substitution for beef (veal) in a stew
Answer 2
If you substitute a meat, I would suggest stewing for a longer period of 4-6 hours, to allow connective tissue and muscle fiber to break down. This longer period turns tough, chewy meat into tender, succulent melt-in-your mouth goodness.
As Cos Callis said, lamb or goat chunks could work well, but you should check with your friends to see how they feel about lamb. While these are wonderful meats and have some flavor similarity to beef, some people find the muttony/gamy flavor of lamb very off-putting. Pork is another possibility, in which case you should use hocks or ham.
For extra flavor, you can sear/brown chunks of the meat before adding to your stew.
Answer 3
First thought: Lamb (but if they don't eat beef do they eat lamb? Also, if it available to you: Goat)
If poultry is preferred option, then ground chicken or turkey. Brown it off, add it to the onions & juice and just slow/low cook till you are ready to serve.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: SenuScape, Anil Sharma, makafood, makafood