Beef and Vegetable Stew
Serves: 6
450g (16 oz) diced beef stewing meat
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
170g (6 oz) tomato purée
1 (500g) container organic beef stock
2 medium carrots, chopped
3 potatoes, cubed
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 (250g) punnet crimini button mushrooms, quartered
285g (10 oz) frozen garden peas, thawed
Preparation method
Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 2 hours
1. Remove any bits of fat from the meat. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Sauté the meat in the oil for 10 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Remove meat and set aside.
2. Add the onion and tomato purée to the pot and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until onion is tender, stirring often. Return the meat to the pot along with the beef stock, combining with the onion and tomato purée mixture. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until meat is tender.
3. Add the carrots, potatoes, rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and cayenne pepper, and simmer, covered, for another 45 minutes. (Note: It may be necessary to add some water if the stew seems too thick.)
4. Finally, add the mushrooms and the peas and allow stew to heat through, about another 10 to 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf and rosemary sprig before serving.
or try this for scouse
Ingredients
Serves: 6
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
340g (12 oz) diced braising steak
340g (12 oz) diced lamb
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1.5kg (3 lb) potatoes, peeled
3-4 cups beef stock
2 medium onions, diced
2 medium carrots, thickly sliced
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Preparation method
Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 2 hours 30 mins
1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C / gas mark 4. Heat the oil in a large skillet. Season the meats with salt and pepper; brown on all sides. Transfer to a large, deep casserole pot.
2. Cut 3/4 of the potatoes into thin slices; set on top of the meat. Pour in the stock. Cover and cook in the oven 90 minutes.
3. Cut the rest of the potatoes into small cubes. After 90 minutes, give the scouse a stir to break up the sliced potatoes (this will help thicken it).
4. Mix in the uncooked potatoes, onions, carrots and Worcestershire sauce; cover and cook 60-90 minutes more, or until the meat is very tender.
5. Adjust the seasonings and serve.
