Ingredients1kg stewing beef (chuck or shin)
¼ cup cake or self-raising flour 2 tsp barbeque spice ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 250g button mushrooms 3 Tbsp light olive oil 1 Tbsp butter 1 Tbsp light olive oil 2 medium onions, peeled & sliced 2 tsp finely chopped garlic 1 tsp finely chopped chillies (optional) 1 Tbsp Worcester sauce 1 tsp dried thyme 2 large carrots, peeled & cubed 150g green beans, sliced diagonally 1½ Tbsp tomato paste 2 anchovy fillets 4 cups vegetable or beef stock 500g baby potatoes, peeled (optional) 1-2 tsp cornflour or Bisto, to thicken a few drops gravy browning, to colour |
MethodTrim the beef of excess fat & sinew, and cube into 3-4cm cubes.
Place the flour, barbeque spice & black pepper In a plastic bag, squeeze the opening shut and shake to mix. Add the meat to the bag and shake well to coat all over. Set aside. Prepare the mushrooms by removing & crushing the stalks, and quartering the caps. Set aside. In a large saucepan over a high heat, add the olive oil and once heated, add the flour coated meat and brown on all sides. Transfer the meat to a large bowl. Still over a high heat, melt the butter & olive oil in the same saucepan and fry the sliced onions until lightly browned. Stir in the garlic, chillies, Worcester sauce & thyme. Stir in the cubed carrots, sliced green beans, mushrooms (crushed stalks & quartered caps), tomato paste and mash in the anchovy fillets. Return the meat to the saucepan and add the stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to simmer for 1½ hrs. Add the baby potatoes and simmer for a further 30 mins until tender. Mix the cornflour or Bisto with a little water into a paste and slowly add to the stew, a little at a time, until the desired consistency has been reached. Add gravy browning if necessary. |
Serving Suggestions
Serve with short grain (white or brown) rice or ciabatta.
Variation
Use lamb leg chops instead of beef.
