Mains

Beef Stew

Recipe VIDEO above. Just a great, classic beef stew with meltingly tender beef smothered in a rich sauce. Be sure to brown the beef well - it's key for the deep rich colour and flavour of the sauce! Great on the day, but even better the next day so make ahead if you can. Stove, oven, slow cooker or pressure cooker.

Recipe via recipetineats.com

Instructions

1. 1

   Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper.

2. 2

   Heat 1 1/2 tbsp oil in a large, heavy based casserole pot over high heat until just starting to smoke.

3. 3

   Add 1/3 of the beef and brown aggressively all over - about 4 minutes. Remove to bowl, repeat with remaining beef, adding more oil if required.

4. 4

   Turn down heat to medium high. Add 1 tbsp oil if required. Add onion and garlic, cook for 2 minutes until onion is softened slightly and golden on the edge.

5. 5

   Add carrot and celery, stir for 1 minute to coat in flavours.

6. 6

   Sprinkle flour evenly across surface, then stir to coat.

7. 7

   Add broth, red wine, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to dissolve tomato paste and flour into liquid.

8. 8

   Add cooked beef (including any juices), thyme, bay leaf and potato. Stir. Water level should almost fully cover everything (see video), if not, add a touch of water.

9. 9

   Bring to simmer, then adjust heat to low / medium low so it's simmering gently. (Note 3 for other cooking methods)

10. 10

    Cover and cook for 1 hour 45 minutes or until beef is pretty tender (check with 2 forks at 1.5 hrs).

11. 11

    Remove lid and simmer for further 30 minutes or until sauce reduces slightly. It should be like a thin gravy (see video) and beef should now be very tender.

12. 12

    Season to taste with salt and pepper. 

13. 13

    Serve over creamy mashed potato with a sprig of fresh thyme for decoration or a sprinkle of parsley (Note 4).