Winter Beef Stew by Foodland Recipe Kitchen

Preparation Time: 20 mins
Cooking Time: 2 hours
Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1.2kg Beef chuck braising steak, cut into chunks
• 4 Large carrots, peled & cut into 2cm rounds
• 5 Large potatoes, peeled & cut into large cubes
• 2 Large brown onions, cut into chunks
• 5 Cloves garlic, crushed
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste
• ¼ Cup plain flour
• 2 Cups red wine
• 2 Cups beef stock
• 2 Cups water
• 2 Bay leaves
• ½ Tsp thyme dried
• 2 Tsp sugar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh chopped parsley, for serving (optional)

Equipment

• Heavy soup pot

Instructions

• Pat the beef dry & season with the salt & pepper. In a heavy soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat, until hot. Brown the meat in 3 batches, turning with tongs for about 5 minutes per batch; add one more tablespoon of oil per batch (to sear the meat properly, do not crowd the pot & let the meat develop a nice brown crust before turning with tongs). Transfer the meat to a large plate & set aside.
• Add the onions & garlic to the pot, stirring with a wooden spoon & scraping the brown bits from bottom of the pot, until the onions begin turning translucent.
• Add the tomato paste & cook for one more minute. Add the seared beef back in with its juices. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until it has dissolved.
• Add the wine, beef broth, water, bay leaves, thyme & sugar. Bring to a boil. Cover the pot with a lid & turn heat to low. Allow to simmer for 1 ½ hours, stirring every 10 minutes or so, to ensure nothing gets stuck on the bottom of the pot (Note: you can cook the meat for longer at this point if you would like it more tender. The longer you cook it, the more tender it will become)
• Add the carrots and potatoes. Continue to simmer on a low heat with the lid on for another 20-30 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Add salt & pepper to taste.
• Serve the stew warm with a garnish of fresh parsley.