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Beef Stew
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I think recipes such as this oven-baked beef stew or whole roast chicken make a noob cook look very clever, as they are easier to pull off than they looked. Stews are also perfect for entertaining and gatherings – you’ll impress your folks while feeding a lot at the same time. Beef stew is usually enjoyed by those staying in colder regions, but in tropical Singapore, I’m determined not to be deprived of this delicious dish.
Similar Recipe: Irish Beef Stew
Perhaps December is the best month to enjoy this stew with our wetter days and slightly cooler nights. Special thanks to my friend Joyce, who taught me this recipe (I adapted her recipe but it is still largely built around her original) and don’t mind that I share the recipe on my blog.
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A tip about the beef to use from my friend Joyce. You could buy ready-cut stew beef cubes, but you can save money if you buy a whole chunk of meat and cut it yourself. She recommended me to get the “chuck tender” cut found at the chiller section of Giant hypermart in Singapore and yes, it is economical and good. |
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If slicing your own meat, rinse and pat dry the meat with kitchen towel, then cut them to large cube chunks. |
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Season beef cubes with salt and pepper. Heat Dutch oven with olive oil, then add beef cubes one at a time (you will hear a gentle sizzle and see slight smoking) to form one layer on the pan. Do not overcrowd the meat. Let the cubes brown on one side, then flip over with kitchen tongs and brown on the other side. Take out browned meat and set aside. Add more oil to the casserole if needed and repeat until all the beef cubes are browned. |
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My browned beef cubes. For the lot of beef cubes I had, I browned them in 3 batches.Do not discard the brown bits or juices collected in the casserole. I learnt from watching cooking shows that browning meats is an important step when making stews and doing so add a lot of flavour to the stew. |
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Add a bit more olive oil to the casserole. Then add celery and onions and ‘sweat’ them on medium low heat (about 3 -5 minutes). You will see them turning brown from soaking the juices left in the casserole. |
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Pour a glass of red wine in and saute the celery and onions and wait a few seconds for the alcohol to evaporate (you smell the nice aroma of the wine). |
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Stir in 1 tbsp plain flour and cook for one minute more to thicken the mixture. |
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Add beef stock and when it comes to a simmer, add carrots, bay leaves, peppercorns, thyme, garlic, mushrooms and Worcester sauce. Bring the stew to a simmer. |
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While waiting for the stew to simmer, peel potatoes and quarter them. |
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By the time you are done with the potatoes, the pot will likely be bubbling away and the mushrooms would have shrunken somewhat, making space for more ingredients in the casserole. |
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Add potatoes and the previously browned beef cubes to the casserole. |
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When the stew is bubbling, turn off the stove. Cover the casserole with lid and transfer to an oven. Bake the casserole at 180°C (356°F) for 1 hour and 20 minutes. |
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Take the casserole out and check the consistency of the stew. I find mine a little too watery so I add 1 more tbsp plain flour to thicken the stew. Stir through to dissolve the flour. Adjust to your liking. If it’s too dry, you can add more beef broth or hot water. |
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Add thawed frozen vegetables and mix into the stew. |
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Cover with lid and bake for another 15 minutes, or until the beef is tender. Season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper, if needed. |
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Serve beef stew with rice or bread. |
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I was wondering, a glass of red wine is how many ml? Oh and the beef broth, where did you get it? Personally I tried Campbell’s Beef stock but I didn’t quite like the flavour. Is there any alternatives to using beef stock cubes?
its about 80ml. I use beef cube as a short cut. If you like something more natural, I think I saw tetra-packs beef broth in the organic sections of local supermarkets (SG) – you may want to check them out.
Thanks~! I’m just a student so I have many things I’m unsure of! Trying it soon! (:
Tried it today and it was awesome. My family enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Wats the point of adding the frozen veg when you ald have the fresh ones…??
OMG!Used ground thyme instead,Campbell’s beef broth(I see someone said the flavor was off which worried me but I took the chance)did not use mushrooms(didn’t have any),used black pepper instead of peppercorn,and added a half cup of diced tomatoes….and WoW it turned out perfect. Did not have to add anything. This is the greatest beef stew recipe and I will be adding it to my monthly menu!!!Thanks Wiffy
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hi..is there anything i can sub with instead of using wine?
Hi Just would like to know where do you buy your blue dutch oven in Kuala Lumpur? Would like to try it on the oven. Can this recipe be use in the slow cooker too?
Thanks and hope to hear from you soon.
Cheers
Amy
Hi, I bought mine from Ikea, Singapore. Not sure if you can find it in KL? Yes you can use the slow cooker, but will probably take a longer time than oven. Just cook until the beef is really tender.
Hi,
A bit confused by the red wine – is this red cooking wine or any type of red drinking wine. Would appreciate your reply.
Thanks-corinne
enjoy this beautiful meal….hopefully you will and it will be tasty and delicieious