Beef Stew - Slow Cooker Recipe

" A slow cooker is the pinnacle of low-maintenance cooking. Place the ingredients inside, turn it on, and let it cook. Your only thought is how delicious that meal is going to taste. But some slow cookers have features which make them better suited to your specific needs than other models. To be happy with your purchase, you'll want those needs met.

The best slow cookers offer a consistent temperature through many hours of cooking. The warm setting must keep your food warm without letting it continue to cook. You'll want a capacity that can accommodate your family's needs, a removable inner pot that is easy to clean, and durable construction that will allow many long years of use.

Some slow cookers have programmable features that might be of interest. If you'd like a more in-depth look at these appliances, continue reading here"

Here is an easy slow cooker beef stew that's ready when you are. Throw store cupboard ingredients into the slow cooker with some braising steak and serve with mash of your choice.

Each serving (without mash) provides:

34g protein, 13g carbohydrates, 11g fat, 4g fibre and 2.5g salt.

Ingredients

Serves Six - adjust to suit

600ml/20fl oz just-boiled water
1 beef stock cube
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp yeast extract
900g/2lb good-quality braising steak, trimmed and cut into roughly 4cm/1½in chunks
100g/3½oz smoked bacon lardons*, or sliced smoked back bacon
2 onions, thinly sliced
4 carrots (about 400g/14oz), peeled and cut into roughly 3cm/1¼in chunks
4 celery sticks, trimmed and cut into roughly 3cm/1¼in lengths
3 tbsp plain flour (25g/1oz)
1 tsp flaked sea salt, plus extra to season
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1 bay leaf (dried or fresh)
ground black pepper

Serving suggestions

mashed swede, celeriac or potato

Method

1. Pour the just-boiled water into a heatproof measuring jug, add the stock cube, tomato purée and yeast extract. Stir well until the cube has dissolved and set aside.
2. Put the beef, bacon and vegetables in a slow cooker, sprinkle over the flour and add the salt, herbs and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Toss together. Add the stock mixture and stir well.
3. Cover with the lid and cook on low for 8–10 hours, until the beef and vegetables are tender. Serve the beef stew with mashed potatoes.
Recipe Tips
i) Beef shin or beef brisket will also work in this stew. You can pack the slow cooker the night before and keep it in the fridge, but you must add cooled beef stock instead of hot. Take the packed slow cooker out of the fridge for 30 minutes before putting it on to reduce the risk of cracking the dish. The stew will take 10 hours if started from cold.

ii) *Lardons are small chunks of diced bacon (smoked or unsmoked) that are used to give a good, salty depth of flavour to robust dishes. They are sold vacuum-packed in most supermarkets, but if you can’t find them buy thick rashers of bacon and dice them yourself.

From original idea here

Some readers may also be interested in seeing these two slow cooker recipes

Chicken Casserole recipe here
Vegetarian Stew recipe here

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All the best Jan