DELICIOUS BEEF STEW RECIPES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/gas 3. Heat a glug of oil in the casserole over a high heat. Season the beef generously with salt and pepper, then fry in 2-3 batches until browned all over. Set aside.
• Put the dried porcini in a heatproof bowl, pour over 200ml freshly boiled water, then set aside for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat another glug of oil in the casserole over a medium heat, then add the onions and celery. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until beginning to colour and soften. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute more, then add the rehydrated porcini with all but the last 1cm soaking liquid (discard as it will be gritty), the tomato purée, wine, herbs and tinned tomatoes. Rinse out the tin with the beef stock and add that to the casserole as well. Stir well.
• Return the browned beef to the casserole, cover with the lid, then transfer to the oven and cook for 5 hours. After 3 hours of cooking, give the stew a good stir, then add the potatoes, olives and capers. Continue to cook until the meat is fall-apart tender and the potatoes have softened.
• At the end of cooking, let the casserole rest for a few minutes, then serve with chunky slices of garlic bread (or see Make Ahead).

Steps:

• Fry the onion and celery in 1 tbsp oil over a low heat until they start to soften – about 5 mins. Add the carrots, bay and thyme, fry for 2 mins, stir in the purée and Worcestershire sauce, add 600ml boiling water, stir and tip everything into a slow cooker. Crumble over the stock cubes or add the stock pots and stir, then season with pepper (don’t add salt as the stock may be salty).
• Clean out the frying pan and fry the beef in the remaining oil in batches until it is well browned, then tip each batch into the slow cooker. Cook on low for 8-10 hrs, or on high for 4 hrs.
• If you want to thicken the gravy, mix the cornflour with a splash of cold water to make a paste, then stir in 2 tbsp of the liquid from the slow cooker. Tip back into the slow cooker, stir and cook for a further 30 mins on high. Stir in the parsley and season again to taste. Serve with mash, if you like. Leave to cool before freezing.