How to Give Color to Beef Stew

Adding a simple ingredient can give stew more color and flavor.

Stew is a hearty, one-pot meal that is simple to make and sure to please the whole family. There are different methods to add color and texture to stew depending on your preference. Adding tomato paste gives the stew a rich red color while a bit of gravy mix will give the stew a deep, brown color. You can also make a very simple roux with a small amount of flour and butter. A roux adds a creamy, brown color and thickness to the stew.

Things You'll Need

• Stew meat
• Flour
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp. butter
• 2-3 tbsp.tomato paste
• 1 tsp. brown gravy mix

Instructions

Browning to Add Color

1. Dredge the stew meat in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Shake off excess flour. The stew meat should have a light coating of flour.

2. Heat oil in a large pot. Add the floured stew meat in batches. Brown the meat on all sides. Do not place too much meat in the pot at one time. This will lower the oil temperature and impede browning.

3. Add liquid, stew ingredients and seasonings to the browned stew meat. Scape the bottom of the pot to incorporate the browned bits into the stew. Browning the meat with flour will give the stew a creamy light brown color.

Add Tomato Paste

1. Brown the meat according to steps 1 through 3 as for "Browning to Add Color."

2. Add the liquid and all stew ingredients to the browned beef. Stir in 2 tbsp. to 3 tbsp. of tomato paste. Mix well.

3. Cook the stew as usual. The tomato paste will add a rich red color and tomato base flavor to the stew. Tomato paste will also help thicken the stew to make it a hardy meal.

Make a Roux

1. Brown the stew meat (without the flour coating) in a pot coated with a bit of oil. The stew meat should stick to the bottom of the pot, this will give the roux some color.

2. Remove the browned meat from the pot and drain off any excess liquid. Turn the burner heat to medium low. Add 3 tbsp. of butter to the pot and melt. Add 1/3 cup flour to the melted butter and whisk scraping the bottom of the pot to remove the beef bits. Continue cooking the flour until it turns a medium brown color.

3. Add water or beef broth and continue to whisk until it is blended. Add the beef and other stew ingredients and cook. A roux lends a rich, creamy, brown color and adds flavor and thickness to the stew.

Tips & Warnings

• When making a roux, do not let the roux become too dark or it will burn.