Description
This beef stew South African recipe, home-cooked tradition, features tender beef cubes simmered alongside hearty potatoes, colorful carrots, and filling beans. It's a dish that evokes childhood memories for me – a classic stew that remains fundamentally unchanged.
Ingredients
- 950 grams beef, 1kg/2.2lbs
- 2 tsps salt and pepper
- 4 Tbps oil, any neutral oil (1/4 cup)
- 1 onion, roughly sliced lengthways
- 3 carrots, washed, peeled and sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced, 3 to 4 cloves
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 2 tsps meat spice
- 3 Tbps flour
- 2 tsps Worcestershire sauce
- 3 potatoes, cubed into quarters, 4 chunks (not too small)
- 3 cups beef stock + 2 beef cubes (with a cup of hot water)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup red wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 400 grams canned butter beans, drained and liquid discarded
- 1 to 2 Tbsps butter unsalted, 15 to 28grams
- fresh thyme
Instructions
- Prep the ingredients: As part of your prep, meaure out 2 cups of beef stock into a jug. Take 2 beef cubes and crumble them into the stock and then add 1 cup of boiling water. Use a spoon to mix so the beef granules are all diluted. Set aside for later.
- Dry the meat: Pat the beef dry with kitchen tissue paper. Use a sharp knife to cut the larger pieces down into smaller ones and cut off any excess fat. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Searing: Sear the beef in portions, (don't over-crowd the pot) in a large pot or Dutch oven, with enough oil to cover the base. I used 1/4 cup of canola oil in a large Dutch Oven. 2 tablespoons of oil is too little to properly sear 1 kilo of meat. Sear every piece, all round till light golden brown. Set aside in a plate or bowl when done.
- Aromatics: Same pot, remaining oil, add the onions and cook for 1 to 2 minutes on low-to-medium heat, then add the garlic and carrots, stir. Add the tomato paste, stir to combine so that the flavors carry through, roughly a minute.
- Up the Flavor: Still on low-to-medium heat, add your favorite spice. Meat spice, paprika, cumin, meat rub or any that you prefer. Mix them in.
- Thickening & Wine: Add the flour and stir it in. It will immediately thicken, add the Worcestershire sauce, mix then add the red wine and stir it all together. Add the potatoes and mix so that they carry some of the flavors before adding the stock.
- Finishing Touches: Add the now seared beef (including the juices on the plate), pour in the prepared beef stock, water, beans, bay leaves and fresh thyme.
- Simmer: Cover, and bring up to a rapid simmer then lower the heat so that the simmer is a low bubbling simmer. The simmer should be not too high and not too slow. Find a decent bubble for your stew and cook for an hour and a half (1 1/2 hours) or until the meat is tender and vegetables are soft. Use a knife to check the doneness of the potatoes. Check the seasoning levels by tasting and add a sprinkle of salt and pepper if needed, to taste.
- Uncovered: Now the meat is tender but we need to reduce some of the liquid so, remove the lid, and continue simmering for another 20 to 30 minutes. Add the unsalted butter just before carving.
- Serve: Carve into bowls and serve with your favorite side dish. Buttery mashed potatoes, fluffy naan bread, rice or crusty bread and a sprig of fresh thyme.
Notes
Liquid: The liquid should cover everything in the pot when you place the lid on and leave it to simmer.
Nutrition: This calculation is a serving for 6 people and just for the beef stew with all the ingredients included in the recipe, not the sides that you may add later.
Celery: You can definitely add celery, chopped with the carrots.
They are not in this recipe because the stew is phenominal even without celery.
You don't actually see the celery in a slow cook, they just provide flavor.
Red wine: No expensive wine is needed.
Personally I prefer a full bodied merlot and it doesn't need to cost the earth.
According to an article on Greatest a merlot lends for a seriously moreish stew and I couldn't agree more!
Beef stew: Instant Pot Beef Stew and Chipotle Beef Stew
Leftovers and Storage: Make sure that your beef stew has cooled down completely before transferring to an airtight container.
If frozen, thaw before reheating. I am big on flavor especially when food tastes better the next day because the flavors have had time to develop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Home-made beef stew is an easy recipe, here are a few questions that may help you or inspire you to make the best beef stew for your family.
Low and slow is the answer. If you're going to rush it, your best off making something else. A good stew needs a minimum of 1 ½ to 2 hours.
It's difficult to pinpoint just one ingredient that makes beef stew so flavorful. Each ingredient contributes its own special layer. Take tomato paste and spices, for example. When added with the aromatics like onions and garlic, they have a chance to saute and release their flavors, which then get incorporated into the entire dish. Then there's the connection between the beef cubes simmering in rich liquid stock. A splash of red wine (optional) can add loads of depth. Each ingredient plays a role: beans for a satisfying texture, butter at the end for a touch of richness, and so forth. All these ingredients come together to create a balanced flavorful beef stew.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: South African
Nutrition
- Calories: 464
- Sugar: 5
- Sodium: 1451
- Fat: 22
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 27
- Fiber: 5
- Protein: 30
- Cholesterol: 73