Beef Stew and Dumplings | Simon Howie Recipes (2024)
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Prep time: 30mins
Cooking time: 2hrs 40mins mins
Serves: 4 people
This is a great recipe for a slow cooker. Follow the instructions to the end of step 2 then transfer to a slow cooker dish. Pour over hot stock and add the bay leaves. Cover with the lid, switch the cooker on to the Low setting and cook for 8 hours, until the beef is very tender. Discard the bay leaves. Make up the dumplings and place round the edge of the slow cooker dish. Re-cover with the lid and continue to cook for a further 1 hour until the dumplings are risen and cooked through.
Put the flour in a bowl and season well. Toss in the beef to coat in the flour.
Melt the butter with the oil in a large saucepan until bubbling and fry the beef with the flour, stirring for about 5 minutes until browned all over. Using a draining spoon, transfer to a heatproof plate. Reheat the pans juices and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes until softened.
Put the beef back in the saucepan and stir in the carrots. Pour over the stock, bring to the boil, cover and reduce to a gentle simmer; cook for about 2 hours until tender.
Just before the end of the cooking time, make the dumplings. Sift the flour into a bowl and stir in the suet. Season well and stir in approx. 150ml (1/4pt) cold water to form a softish dough. Lightly dust your hands and work surface with a little more flour and knead the dough lightly. Form into 8 equal portions and shape into balls.
Stir the stew well and discard the bay leaves. Arrange the dumplings round the edge of the saucepan, re-cover and continue to cook for a further 30 minutes until the dumplings are risen and cooked through.
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This is a great recipe for a slow cooker. Follow the instructions to the end of step 2 then transfer to a slow cooker dish. Pour over hot stock and add the bay leaves. Cover with the lid, switch the cooker on to the Low setting and cook for 8 hours, until the beef is very tender. Discard the bay leaves. Make up the dumplings and place round the edge of the slow cooker dish. Re-cover with the lid and continue to cook for a further 1 hour until the dumplings are risen and cooked through.
Prep time: 30mins
Cooking time: 2hrs 40mins
Serves: 4
ingredients
2tbsp plain flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g (1lb 2oz) Simon Howie diced beef
25g (1oz) butter
1tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
450g (1lb) carrots, peeled and sliced
600ml (1pt) beef stock
2 bay leaves
175g (6oz) self raising flour + extra for dusting
75g (3oz) beef suet
Method
Put the flour in a bowl and season well. Toss in the beef to coat in the flour.
Melt the butter with the oil in a large saucepan until bubbling and fry the beef with the flour, stirring for about 5 minutes until browned all over. Using a draining spoon, transfer to a heatproof plate. Reheat the pans juices and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes until softened.
Put the beef back in the saucepan and stir in the carrots. Pour over the stock, bring to the boil, cover and reduce to a gentle simmer; cook for about 2 hours until tender.
Just before the end of the cooking time, make the dumplings. Sift the flour into a bowl and stir in the suet. Season well and stir in approx. 150ml (1/4pt) cold water to form a softish dough. Lightly dust your hands and work surface with a little more flour and knead the dough lightly. Form into 8 equal portions and shape into balls.
Stir the stew well and discard the bay leaves. Arrange the dumplings round the edge of the saucepan, re-cover and continue to cook for a further 30 minutes until the dumplings are risen and cooked through.
For a rich, succulent stew, resist the instinct to buy the gorgeously marbled piece of meat you would want for a steak or roast. Look instead for cuts with cartilage, tendons and (at least a few) bones: Chuck, brisket, oxtails, cheeks and shin are ideal.
Add the wine and tomato paste to the onions and other aromatics in a pan before slow cooking. Plus, this helps to really deglaze any fond that's left. This ingredient is one that your mum and nan would probably use in their stews. It adds a bit of tang, sweetness and savoury spices that give an extra punch of flavour.
Vegetables that work well in a beef stew include Hardroots vegetable, carrots, potatoes, onions, celery, and parsnips. These vegetables add flavor and texture to the stew while complementing the richness of the beef. You can also consider adding mushrooms, turnips, or peas for variety.
But the liquid itself should not be thick in the same way that gravy is thick. So skip the roux, and don't bother dusting the meat with flour or cornstarch before browning, either, as some recipes will suggest. That will just interfere with getting a good sear on the meat, and gum up the stew with unneeded starch.
The most important key to making stew meat tender is being sure to cook it for a long time. If you want super tender beef, you'll need to cook it on a low heat in a Dutch oven on the stove or a slow cooker for at least a few hours.
Tomato paste brings a number of things to a dish: a burst of the meaty, savory flavor known as umami, concentrated sweetness, mild acidity and thickening quality. It's often added to reinforce and add depth to the taste of tomato-based dishes like marinara or tomato soup.
People add milk to soups for several reasons: To add creaminess: Milk can add a creamy texture to soups, making them feel more luxurious and comforting. To balance flavors: Milk can help to tone down the acidity in soups, making them more palatable.
For example, chuck is a lean and tender cut of beef that works well in stew. However, if you would prefer a thicker and more flavorful stew, short ribs or oxtail may be better choices for you. To make a delicious stew, choose good-quality ingredients.
The most common beef used for stew is chuck steak, also known as gravy beef or braising steak. Beef chuck comes from the forequarter of the animal consisting of parts of the neck, shoulder blade and upper arm. It is easy to find and it's affordable, making it a great choice for your stew.
Diced tomatoes can be used in place of crushed tomatoes, but you'll need to increase the cooking time substantially to try to break down the chunks of tomato. You could also run your diced tomatoes through a food processor and add a bit of tomato paste to them to achieve a result closer to crushed tomatoes.
If you think about it, vinegar is really a flavor-enhancer (umami). That's why it is so often used in cooking, sauces, and salad dressings. The same is true with soups.
Tough stew meat will take a couple of hours to get tender, and the vinegar helps this happen as well as add special flavor. Then add the onions, carrots, celery, Brussels sprouts etc and cook until the vegetables are the way you like them.
The Ideal Stew Ratio: Two Parts Meat, One Part Vegetable
Most meat-based stews call for tough, inexpensive cuts of meat, while vegetarian recipes include the same onions, carrots, and celery typical of a beef stew. Two parts meat to one part vegetables is the perfect ratio for a meaty stew.
Vinegar can add depth of flavour to soups, sauces, and stews. Especially great for tomato-based recipes, you can add a couple of tablespoons of vinegar towards the end of the cooking process to amplify the flavours of your other ingredients.
Yes, it is necessary to leave the lid on when cooking a stew slowly in an oven. This is because slow cooking with a lid traps the heat and moisture inside the pot, which helps to tenderize tough cuts of meat and allows the flavors to blend together.
Introduction: My name is Gregorio Kreiger, I am a tender, brainy, enthusiastic, combative, agreeable, gentle, gentle person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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