Beef Stew

This hearty beef stew recipe is the ultimate comfort food for those cold winter months. Succulent beef and plenty of tasty vegetables are slow cooked in a red wine stock which produces a deliciously rich gravy. Perfect for mopping up with fresh, crusty bread.

Ingredients

700g stewing steak
2 tbsp plain flour
salt & pepper
2 tbsp vegetable oil
200ml red wine
600ml beef stock
2 large carrots (approx 300g) - peeled and diced into large chunks
2 large leeks (approx 300g) - thickly sliced
200g swede - cut into large chunks
200g shallots - peeled
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions

Preheat the oven to 160C/140Fan/Gas 3.
Add the flour to a large bowl. Season well with salt & pepper.
Tip the beef into the bowl, then stir to coat the meat with the seasoned flour.
Place a large casserole dish on the hob over a medium heat. Add the oil, then the floured meat. Fry until sealed.
Pour in the red wine. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes.
Add the carrots, leeks, swede, and shallots to the casserole dish.
Pour in the stock. Top with the bay leaves and thyme sprigs.
Give everything a good mix up, bring to the boil, cover, and place in the oven for 3 hours. If possible, gently stir the stew half way through the cooking process.
After 3 hours, remove the lid, gently stir again, then return the casserole dish to the oven for a further 30 minutes to thicken up the gravy.
Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs before serving with crusty bread and pickled red cabbage.

Beef Stew Recipe Notes:

This recipe also works well in a slow cooker. Simply transfer the ingredients to your slow cooker at step 8. Then cook on Low for 8-10 hours, or High for 4-5 hours.
I don't add potatoes to this version of my beef stew as it's a great one to freeze, and I find the potato removes some of the flavour when doing so. However, I do sometimes make some mini roast potatoes to serve on the side, or stir through the stew just before serving.
This recipe can also be made without the red wine, by substituting the wine with an extra 200ml of beef stock. If you do this, I would also suggest adding some additional flavouring such as 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce and 1 tbsp tomato puree.