Beef Stew
A slow-cooked stew with tender beef chunks, potatoes, carrots, and rich gravy. The ultimate comfort food.
Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 2 hours. Difficulty: Easy. Serves 6.
Ingredients
- 700g stewing beef, cut into 3cm cubes
- 4 potatoes, cut into chunks
- 3 carrots, cut into chunks
- 2 onions, roughly chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cups beef stock
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Season beef with salt, pepper, and flour. Toss to coat.
- Heat oil in a large pot. Brown beef in batches — about 3 minutes per batch. Remove.
- Add onions and celery. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add tomato paste. Stir for 1 minute.
- Return beef to the pot. Add stock, bay leaves, and thyme.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to low heat. Cover and simmer for 1 hour.
- Add potatoes and carrots. Continue simmering for 45 minutes until everything is tender.
- Remove bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve in bowls.
Tips for Helpers
- Brown the meat well — this creates the rich flavour of the stew.
- Low and slow is the key — do not rush the simmering.
- The stew thickens as it cooks. Add more stock if it gets too thick.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Use lamb for Irish stew variation.
- Add turnips, parsnips, or sweet potatoes for variety.