Stewing: Method and Recipes

Seafood stew with vegetables
Image by Jeremy Keith

When chunks of meat, seafood or vegetables are slow-simmered in a flavorful liquid brew, the result is a warming, comforting dish called a stew. Slow, moist cooking is the best way to tenderize tough cuts of meat (which happen to also be the most flavorful). Stews are also a great way to use up leftovers. And speaking of leftovers, most stews are more flavorful the next day.

International Stewing Recipes

Ewa Dodo 
(Nigerian black-eyed pea stew with plantains)
Ewa Dodo (Nigerian black-eyed pea and plantain stew)

Ewa Dodo 
(Nigerian black-eyed pea stew with plantains)

Bográcsgulyás 
(Hungarian beef and pepper stew)
Pot of bogracs gulyas over a campfire

Bográcsgulyás 
(Hungarian beef and pepper stew)

Sancocho 
(Latin root vegetable stew)
Bowl of sancocho root vegetables stew

Sancocho 
(Latin root vegetable stew)

Matoke 
(Ugandan beef and plantain stew)
Ugandan beef and plantain stew

Matoke 
(Ugandan beef and plantain stew)

Sinigang na Baboy 
(Filipino sour pork and vegetable stew)
Bowl of sinigang na baboy

Sinigang na Baboy 
(Filipino sour pork and vegetable stew)

Carapulcra 
(Peruvian pork and freeze-dried potato stew)
Plate of carapulcra with rice

Carapulcra 
(Peruvian pork and freeze-dried potato stew)

Candinga Hondureña 
(Honduran stewed pork liver)
Bowl of candinga

Candinga Hondureña 
(Honduran stewed pork liver)

Dograma 
(Turkmen shredded meat and bread stew)
Bowl of dograma

Dograma 
(Turkmen shredded meat and bread stew)

Moqueca 
(Brazilian fish and coconut milk stew)
Moqueca Brazilian fish and coconut milk stew

Moqueca 
(Brazilian fish and coconut milk stew)

Asopao de Pollo 
(Puerto Rican, Dominican chicken and rice stew)
Asopao de Pollo (Puerto Rican chicken and rice stew)

Asopao de Pollo 
(Puerto Rican, Dominican chicken and rice stew)

Zarzuela de Mariscos 
(Spanish seafood stew)
Bowl of zarzuela de mariscos Spanish seafood stew

Zarzuela de Mariscos 
(Spanish seafood stew)

Irish Stew 
(Irish lamb and potato stew)
A hefty bowl of Irish stew on the table

Irish Stew 
(Irish lamb and potato stew)

Porotos Granados 
(Chilean pumpkin and cranberry bean stew)
Bowl of Chilean porotos granados

Porotos Granados 
(Chilean pumpkin and cranberry bean stew)

Pozole 
(Mexican pork and hominy stew)
Bowl of pozole blanco

Pozole 
(Mexican pork and hominy stew)

Carbonade Flamande, or Vlaamse Stoverij 
(Belgian beef and beer stew)
Plate of beef carbonade with fries

Carbonade Flamande, or Vlaamse Stoverij 
(Belgian beef and beer stew)

Feijoada 
(Brazilian pork, beef and black bean stew)
Plate with Brazilian feijoada completa

Feijoada 
(Brazilian pork, beef and black bean stew)

Menudo Rojo 
(Mexican spicy beef tripe soup)
Ladlefull of menudo stew

Menudo Rojo 
(Mexican spicy beef tripe soup)

Olla de Carne 
(Costa Rican beef and vegetable stew)
Olla de Carne (Costa Rican beef stew)

Olla de Carne 
(Costa Rican beef and vegetable stew)

Borshch 
(Ukrainian beet soup)
Bowl of borshch with smetana sour cream

Borshch 
(Ukrainian beet soup)

Hkatenkwan 
(Ghanaian chicken and groundnut stew)
Bowl of African chicken and peanut stew

Hkatenkwan 
(Ghanaian chicken and groundnut stew)

Boeuf à l’Haïtienne 
(Haitian beef with tomatoes and peppers)
Haitian woman selling peppers off tarp

Boeuf à l’Haïtienne 
(Haitian beef with tomatoes and peppers)

Mafé, or Maafe 
(West African meat in peanut sauce)
Serving of Senegalese-style mafé

Mafé, or Maafe 
(West African meat in peanut sauce)

Bredie 
(South African lamb stew)
Bredie simmering in a cast-iron pot

Bredie 
(South African lamb stew)

Hakô Bantara 
(Guinean cassava leaf stew)
A bowl of hako bantara with a bowl of cooked rice

Hakô Bantara 
(Guinean cassava leaf stew)

Khoresht Ghaimeh 
(Persian lamb and split pea stew)
Bowl of khorest-e ghaimeh stew

Khoresht Ghaimeh 
(Persian lamb and split pea stew)

Caldereta 
(Filipino beef stew)
Serving dish with caldereta

Caldereta 
(Filipino beef stew)

Puchero 
(Spanish meat and chickpea stew)
Puchero in the style of the Canary Islands

Puchero 
(Spanish meat and chickpea stew)

Harira 
(North African lamb and chickpea stew)
Small bowl of harira soup

Harira 
(North African lamb and chickpea stew)

Khoresht-e Aloo 
(Persian lamb stewed with prunes)
Plate of khoresht-e aloo

Khoresht-e Aloo 
(Persian lamb stewed with prunes)

Lham Lahlou 
(Algerian lamb and dried fruit tagine)
Bowl of lham lahlou topped with dried plums and almonds

Lham Lahlou 
(Algerian lamb and dried fruit tagine)

Scotch Broth 
(Scottish lamb, barley and root vegetable stew)
A bowl of Scotch broth with oatcakes

Scotch Broth 
(Scottish lamb, barley and root vegetable stew)

Gumbo 
(American Cajun-Creole meat and shellfish stew)
Bowl of gumbo over rice

Gumbo 
(American Cajun-Creole meat and shellfish stew)

Hong Shao Rou 
(Chinese red-cooked pork)
Red-cooked pork with a scoop of rice

Hong Shao Rou 
(Chinese red-cooked pork)

Chicken Stock 
(How to make chicken stock, with variations)
Chicken stock simmering in a pot

Chicken Stock 
(How to make chicken stock, with variations)

Cerdo con Frijoles 
(Mexican stewed pork and black beans)
Bowl of cerdo con frijoles

Cerdo con Frijoles 
(Mexican stewed pork and black beans)

Tashreeb Dajaj 
(Iraqi chicken and chickpea stew over bread)
Iraqi chicken and chickpea stew over bread

Tashreeb Dajaj 
(Iraqi chicken and chickpea stew over bread)

Quimbombó Guisado 
(Puerto Rican stewed okra)
Okra and tomatoes

Quimbombó Guisado 
(Puerto Rican stewed okra)

Pollo Guisado 
(Dominican, Puerto Rican stewed chicken)
Pollo Guisado (Caribbean stewed chicken and vegetables)

Pollo Guisado 
(Dominican, Puerto Rican stewed chicken)

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