One-pot Beef Stew

Are you planning out your September school holidays? Possibly something away from the hustle-bustle of the city with friends and the kids in tow?

 

Cooking for a hoard of hungry campers can be a task! And when you’re camping, it adds that extra layer of complexity to cooking and getting everyone fed in record time.

 

Well, if that is the case, you are going to love this one-pot beef stew.

 

Sure to warm up those hungry little bodies after a day out exploring.

 

What you’ll need:

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 KG of stewing beef

Salt and pepper (to taste)

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

1 large onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, pressed

3 medium carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 cup red wine

2 dashes Worcestershire Sauce

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup tomato sauce

3 cups low sodium beef stock

5 medium white potatoes, quartered

1 cup frozen green beans (optional)

fresh parsley for garnish

 

 

Method:

 

Preheat your oven to 160degrees or get your campfire piping hot.

 

Place a large Dutch Oven pot over medium-high heat and warm the olive oil in it.

 

Season the beef with salt and pepper and add to the hot pot, just so the beef covers the bottom of the pot. Don’t overcrowd as this will prevent the browning process. Brown the beef in batches if necessary.

 

Brown the beef pieces on each side just until they’re beautifully caramelised, sprinkling the flour over the beef as it browns, about 1 teaspoon at a time.

 

Remove the beef from the pot to a plate after it has browned (don’t worry about cooking it through at this point!) and add the thyme, smoked paprika, onions, garlic, carrots and celery to the pot.

 

Stir the vegetables around to catch all the drippings left in the pot from the meat and add the beef back into the pot after the onions are almost translucent.

 

Add the red wine, the Worcestershire Sauce, and the tomato paste. Give everything a good stir and let the liquid cook down.

 

Once the wine liquid has reduced for several minutes, and it has thickened, add the tomato sauce, the beef stock and the potatoes.

 

Give everything a good stir, scraping any bits off the bottom of the pot.

 

Make sure the potatoes are nicely nestled into the liquid and add the lid to the pot. Place the pot in the oven at 160 degrees for about 3 to 3 and a half hours.

 

Every hour or so, lift the lid of the pot and give everything a quick stir.

 

If you’d like to add the frozen green beans (they’re totally optional) stir them in during the last 30 minutes of cooking, so they don’t get soggy.

 

You’ll know the stew is done after the allotted time has passed, and the beef pieces fall apart when you touch them with a fork.

 

Serve in deep bowls with a piece of crusty bread for dipping, and a sprinkling of fresh parsley for garnish.