Beef stew is a great comfort meal, pretty straightforward to make but takes a bit of time.
For four people, toss 800g of diced stewing steak in some plain flour, season with salt and pepper. Add a large splash of olive oil to a medium sized casserole dish, and brown the meat all over.
Remove from pan and add two peeled and chopped onions. Fry for two-three minutes, then add a handful of fresh sage leaves and add the diced beef back into the pan with two peeled and quartered parsnips, four peeled and halved carrots, half a butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded and roughly chopped and 500g small new potatoes.
Add two tbsp tomato puree, half a bottle of red wine and 300ml beef stock. Season with plenty of ground black pepper and a little salt, bring to the boil, then cover with a lid and cook at 160C for about three hours.
Check that the beef is cooked by seeing if it will fall apart easily. If it doesn’t give it a further 45-60 minutes.
Mix together some freshly chopped rosemary, grated zest of a lemon and a clove of peeled and crushed garlic, sprinkle over the stew when cooked and serve in a large bowl with some warm, fresh bread and a glass of good red wine.
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