Slow-Cooked Beef Stew

 Serves: 4-6      Prep Time: 20mins      Cook Time: 2-2.5 hours

INGREDIENTS

• 1 kg chuck or boneless shin/gravy beef BUY
• 1 large onion, halved and sliced
• 2 medium carrots, thickly sliced 

Flavour base:

• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 3 cups beef stock
• a good shake each of Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves (optional)

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Dice beef into 2–3 cm cubes. Season with salt and pepper, add 2 tbsp oil to beef and mix well. Heat a large frypan over medium-high heat. Brown beef in 2–3 batches. Remove each batch and place in casserole dish.
2. Reduce heat, add a little oil, add the vegetables, cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Sprinkle in flour and coat vegetables by stirring. Gradually pour in stock or other liquid, stirring well. Add remaining flavour base ingredients, stirring and scraping up the meaty bits as you go until mixture boils. Add to the casserole dish and stir to combine. 
4. Cover dish, place in oven and cook until the beef is meltingly tender. Stir every 40 minutes or so, adding water if needed to keep the ingredients just covered.

Note: When you are using a slow cooker, ensure stock is covering the beef. If not, add a little water, then cook on high for 4 hours or low for up to 8 hours.