Bog standard beef stew

This recipe is a cheap and easily adaptable meal - you can make it from pretty much anything in the fridge or pantry.

Ingredients
1kg beef - cut into chunks and tossed in plain flour with salt and pepper - any cheap cut - gravy beef, stewing steak, braising steak or chuck steak
1 large onion - chopped
1 or 2 cloves of garlic - crushed
1 large can tomatoes
1 cup beef stock or water
Plus extras from the fridge or pantry e.g.
a couple of large potatoes -peeled and cut into chunks
carrots peeled and sliced thickly
celery - chopped
mushrooms - chopped
can of chickpeas or beans - drained and rinsed
mixed frozen veges
parsnip peeled and sliced thickly
pumpkin or sweet potato peeled and chopped into chunks
red or green bell peppers diced
Your choice of herbs or spices e.g. mixed herbs, Italian herbs, morrocan spice mix or a curry paste
or whatever else you choose

Basic Method

  1. Heat oil in a large heavy based pot and brown the beef in batches - put to one side
  2. Soften onions and garlic - (add celery, peppers and mushrooms at this point if you are using them)
  3. Add beef back to the pot with the tomatoes and beef stock or water
  4. Add herbs or spices and season
  5. Add potatoes, carrots or any other hard, slow cooked veges and beans
  6. bring to the boil and leave to simmer - taste to check seasoning and adjust as needed - add more stock or water if too dry.  Stir occasionally
  7. cook until tender (add frozen veges about 10 minutes before the stew is ready if using)
  8. Serve with sliced white bread and butter or crusty artisan bread and red wine if you are trying to be flash.
Stew in the picture has mushrooms, celery, green pepper, potato, carrot and a can of mixed beans


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