BEEF AND DUMPLINGS RECIPE RECIPES

Put the oil, vegetables and tomato purée into the bowl of your slow cooker. Dry the beef pieces with kitchen paper and dust with the plain flour (tapping off excess). Add to the slow cooker together with the wine, stock, rosemary and some seasoning. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on high for 5hr or until the beef is tender.

After 5hrs of cooking, make the dumplings. Sift the flour into a large bowl and stir in the suet, parsley and lots of seasoning. Add 100ml cold water and stir to make a soft (and slightly sticky) dough.

Remove the lid and discard the rosemary sprigs. Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of dough, gently roll into a ball and place on top of the stew, spacing apart. Recover and cook for 1hr more. Check the seasoning and serve with mashed potatoes. 

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.
2. Put your flour into a mixing bowl. Using a coarse grater, grate your cold butter into the flour. Add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
3. Using your fingers, gently rub the butter into the flour until it begins to resemble breadcrumbs. Add a splash of cold water to help bind it into a dough.
4. Divide the dough into 24 pieces and gently roll each into a round dumpling. The dumplings will suck up quite a bit of moisture so if your stew looks dry, add a cup of boiling water and give it a good stir.
5. Place the dumplings on top of your fully cooked stew and press down lightly so that they’re half submerged. Cook in the oven or on the hob over a medium heat with the lid on for 30 minutes.

Put the flour in a large mixing bowl and season. Toss a third of the beef in flour to coat, shaking off excess. Heat 1tbsp oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry meat until browned all over. Remove with a slotted spoon to the slow cooker after each batch. Repeat with the remaining meat using 1tbsp oil each time. Add the stock to the pan, scraping up brown bits.

Pour the stock into the slow cooker slowly and mix well with the beef. Mix in the onions, ale, bay leaf and thyme. Finally stir in the mushrooms and carrots and season. Cover with a lid and cook on high for 4hr. 

Meanwhile, make dumplings. Mix all ingredients, apart from cheese, in a bowl with plenty of seasoning, or pulse in a food processor until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add cheese and mix in to form larger flakes, then sprinkle over 1–2tbsp water to bring the dough together. Roll into 6 balls and dot around stew leaving a 2cm gap between them. Cover again with the lid and cook for a further 1hr.

Put the oil, vegetables and tomato purée into the bowl of your slow cooker. Dry the beef pieces with kitchen paper and dust with the plain flour (tapping off excess). Add to the slow cooker together with the wine, stock, rosemary and some seasoning. Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on high for 5hr or until the beef is tender.

After 5hrs of cooking, make the dumplings. Sift the flour into a large bowl and stir in the suet, parsley and lots of seasoning. Add 100ml cold water and stir to make a soft (and slightly sticky) dough.

Remove the lid and discard the rosemary sprigs. Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of dough, gently roll into a ball and place on top of the stew, spacing apart. Recover and cook for 1hr more. Check the seasoning and serve with mashed potatoes. 

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5.
2. Put your flour into a mixing bowl. Using a coarse grater, grate your cold butter into the flour. Add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
3. Using your fingers, gently rub the butter into the flour until it begins to resemble breadcrumbs. Add a splash of cold water to help bind it into a dough.
4. Divide the dough into 24 pieces and gently roll each into a round dumpling. The dumplings will suck up quite a bit of moisture so if your stew looks dry, add a cup of boiling water and give it a good stir.
5. Place the dumplings on top of your fully cooked stew and press down lightly so that they’re half submerged. Cook in the oven or on the hob over a medium heat with the lid on for 30 minutes.

Put the flour in a large mixing bowl and season. Toss a third of the beef in flour to coat, shaking off excess. Heat 1tbsp oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry meat until browned all over. Remove with a slotted spoon to the slow cooker after each batch. Repeat with the remaining meat using 1tbsp oil each time. Add the stock to the pan, scraping up brown bits.

Pour the stock into the slow cooker slowly and mix well with the beef. Mix in the onions, ale, bay leaf and thyme. Finally stir in the mushrooms and carrots and season. Cover with a lid and cook on high for 4hr. 

Meanwhile, make dumplings. Mix all ingredients, apart from cheese, in a bowl with plenty of seasoning, or pulse in a food processor until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add cheese and mix in to form larger flakes, then sprinkle over 1–2tbsp water to bring the dough together. Roll into 6 balls and dot around stew leaving a 2cm gap between them. Cover again with the lid and cook for a further 1hr.