making beef stew healthier

i know beef stew is already a fairly healthy dish....but how can i make it healthier? i HATE having to cook it in the oil. i frying foods. blah.

does anyone know of a way to cook the stew meat without having to fry it in all that oil?

[have 2 kids]

I cook it in the crockpot.

[TrudieC]

Frying the meat before you cook it is done to carmelize the meat which adds flavor.  This is not a necessity.  If you have a sauce that adds enough color (may contain red wine or canned tomatoes) you won't notice the lack of color on the meat and if you add enough flavor with other things you will be fine.  Just put it in the slow cooker and off it goes.  If you need to thicken it you can add a slurry of cornstarch and water at the end or else add a grated raw potato which will thicken it.

[peekawho]

You can also quickly sear the meat in olive oil.  This is not unhealthy as long as the meat doesn't swim in oil.

I put a little in the pan, heat it well, and then quickly sear it on all sides.  As the others have pointed out, its not really even necessary.  

[heatherlynn22]

oh ok. i didn't know that!!!! awesome. i just hate using oil. i can't stand fried foods. makes my stomach very upset.

thanks for the info!!!

[caregiver222]

The first thing to do is to purchase antibiotic free beef. There a number of sources. Then you can age it. There is lots on the net about aging beef.