Rich Beef Stew (Batch Cook)
This is a hearty lad. A full bottle of wine goes into this and it really gives it a rich, deep flavour. I make this in big batches in the Autumn and fill up the freezer so that we have a stash ready for those cold winter days where I object to going outside.
Ingredients (makes 9-10 portions)
Prep time: 10 mins Cooking time: 1hr+
2kg stewing beef
2 onions, diced
5 cloves garlic, crushed
400g bacon lardons
2 tbsp tomato puree
3 heaped tablespoons plain flour
1 bottle red wine
2 beef stock pots
2 sprigs each fresh rosemary & fresh thyme
400g mushrooms
15-20 silverskin pickled onions
Oil
Salt
Pepper
Equipment required
Large stewing pot
Method
Season the meat with salt & pepper and allow it to come up to room temperature before cooking (about 45 minutes)
Preheat oven to 150°C. Put your pot on a medium-high heat with a generous glug of oil. Brown the beef in batches and set aside on a plate. Add more oil between batches if the pan is looking dry.
Once all the beef has been browned and removed, add the onions to the beef fat (again with more oil if required) and cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Once starting to soften, add the garlic & bacon and fry for 2 minutes.
Add the tomato puree and flour to the meat and mix well to coat. Add the rosemary and thyme.
Add the wine, stock pots and 100ml of water. Bring to a bubble, then cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours. Stir every 20-30 minutes.
10 minutes before the end of the initial cooking time, add oil to a frying pan and fry the mushrooms until caramelised. Chop the pickled onions in half. Add both to the pot, mix well and cook for a further 30 minutes. Remove the herb stalks and serve up with your choice of potatoes & veg.
