Beef & vegetable casserole

A traditional braised beef stew with thick, rich gravy – an ideal recipe for cheap cuts, as slow-cooking guarantees a tender dish

Ingredients

• 2 celery sticks, thickly sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 really big carrots, halved lengthways then very chunkily sliced
• 5 bay leaves
• 2 thyme sprigs, 1 whole and 1 leaves picked
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 beef stock cubes, crumbled
• 850g stewing beef (featherblade or brisket works nicely), cut into nice large chunks

Directions

1. STEP 1
2. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and put the kettle on.
3. STEP 2
4. Put 2 thickly sliced celery sticks, 1 chopped onion, 2 chunkily sliced carrots, 5 bay leaves and 1 whole thyme sprig in a flameproof casserole dish with 1 tbsp vegetable oil and 1 tbsp butter.
5. STEP 3
6. Soften for 10 mins, then stir in 2 tbsp plain flour until it doesn’t look dusty anymore, followed by 2 tbsp tomato purée, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and 2 crumbled beef stock cubes.
7. STEP 4
8. Gradually stir in 600ml hot water, then tip in 850g stewing beef and bring to a gentle simmer.
9. STEP 5
10. Cover and put in the oven for 2hrs 30 mins, then uncover and cook for 30mins – 1hr more until the meat is really tender and the sauce is thickened.
11. STEP 6
12. Garnish with the picked leaves of the remaining thyme sprig.