Need some Refrigerator Stew help here

[Horse with no Name]

I don't need to unnecessarily burden anyone with how hard it is these days to make ends meet, but it is really reflecting in my meal choices these days.
I have gone to buying big refrigerator packs of meat--where I don't get to pick the meat but I end up saving $8 for every $20 taking what the store offers as well as clearance produce.
I'm not complaining. Others are worse off.
However, payday is just around the corner and I am at an impasse.
I am making refrigerator stew.
I sauteed some onions and garlic with some round steak and put them in the crockpot.
I added potatoes, onions, carrots and parsnips. Season with salt, pepper and parsley.
They are cooking but the flavor seems a little bland.
Any suggestions on how to perk up the flavor?
Thanks!

[Lars39]

1. Hmm.

More garlic. :9 Celery seeds, basil, maybe.

[Horse with no Name]

2. Thanks!

I was scrounging and I am a spice novice,lol!

[flamin lib]

3. The flavor will improve as the pot cooks. If you didn't this time

brown the meat first, a good char does wonders. Tho it flies in the face of low cost cooking a bit of red wine or brandy goes a long way. Failing that adding a beef stock might round out the flavor but don't use too much as the slow cooker will coax a lot of liquid out of the stew. I keep a jar of Better then Bullion in both beef and chicken flavor in the fridge as a backup and adding a tsp of beef flavor makes a big difference. No water, just the concentrate to flavor the natural juices. The beef BtB tastes a bit of red wine to me.

Dried thyme is a good addition too.

[Horse with no Name]

6. I browned the meat

with the garlic and onions and put them in the crockpot with the drippings.
Will try the other tips.
Thanks!

[Blues Heron]

4. maybe tomatoes or tomato paste?

I almost always end up adding some to whatever soup or stew I'm making. Or maybe peppers/tabasco/hot sauce...

[Horse with no Name]

7. Hmm I love tomatoes

Will check it a little further and see what it needs.
Thanks!

[grasswire]

5. that sounds like fine dining!

What could be better than a beef braise with those veggies?

I would wait until the cooking is nearly done and taste again. Did you add water? If you don't have any bouillon, you might add 1/4 cup strong coffee. People often use that for added flavor.

[Horse with no Name]

8. I only added a little water

with the pan drippings from the meat and onions.
Thanks for the tip on coffee. I didn't know that!

[Monique1]

9. Add some Mrs. Dash

I like a little spice so I use her spicy - that works for me.

[japple]

10. Probably too late for this batch, but if I were you, I'd add a pinch

of sugar, maybe a few shakes of worcestershire sauce or another acid (beer, red wine, red wine vinegar, or balsamic) and maybe a bay leaf or two.

[Tesha]

11. I don't cook with much salt...

I don't much like the taste when its cooked in.

However, place your meal on a plate and sprinkle a litle salt over all and voila!
I feel like the flavor seems to get turned on.

[struggle4progress]

12. My own theory is: make a really big pot and leave it on the stove with a good lid over it

Bring it to a very gentle boil and boil for at least 20 minutes daily before serving portions

Flavor increases a bit with age and slight bacterial growth (re-sterilized by the boiling, of course)

Onions carrots celery and the like add flavor and don't disintegrate quickly

Careful with starches like potatoes or rice or tomato sauce/paste: that stuff will eventually begin to gum on the bottom and burn, ruining the whole batch -- so I prefer crushed or dice tomato to tomato sauce/paste

Vegetables like broccoli should be added when you're doing the 20 minute boil before serving: they'll overcook otherwise and become nutritionally worthless

If you really want to be frugal, don't throw any food away: put the odds and ends from meal preparation in a container in the freezer and dump in the frozen leftovers whenever you make a big pot of soup or stew: it really never hurts the flavor. That tablespoon of spaghetti sauce, that half cup of water from microwaving your veggies, that dibble of mac&cheese ... it all works

[Rabrrrrrr]

13. I believe strongly in the beauty of Fish Sauce added to almost everything - awesome!

It'll wake up just about anything, at least in some way.

You can also add Worcesteshire (which is also a kind fish sauce).

I like to add some Herbs de Provence to my stews, too.

And in any soups or stews that call for the addition of liquid, I always use stock - that adds a lot of flavor. So you could add a bullion cube at this point or whatever kind of stock thingy you might have.

[Warpy]

15. Agreed

A bay leaf can also add flavor but it needs to be cooked in there for at least an hour, IMO.

I perk up stews with Marmite or Vegemite and/or thicken them with slices of caraway rye bread.

Still, the only way to get full flavor out of your ingredients is to brown the meat and by brown I mean black in spots, then deglaze the pan with wine or broth before you add everything to the crock pot. You want as much Maillard reaction as you can get.

[Arkansas Granny]

14. I like to add a little Kitchen Bouquet to stews, gravies and soups to add

flavor and color. It just takes a small amount to make a difference in the taste and appearance.