Right. I need your best beef stew recipe

[tethersend]

Please

I have the French in laws coming, and I've run out of things to cook. I think they'd love a traditional English beef stew and dumplings, but I've never made one as I don't like beef very much.

Can anyone share their recipe? Beer or no beer? I'm a fairly confident cook, but have never used beef before, so any help appreciated

Do the stew today, but not the dumplings- put them in when you reheat. It will be great!

Brilliant, thanks.

I only have a ceramic casserole dish- am I ok to transfer the stew into that from the big saucepan and do in the oven for 3 hours?

And thanks for the tip- the beef needs to be properly cooked before adding the dumplings, yes? Will check.

Oh yes, dumplings tomorrow definitely!

The ceramic dish, provided it's roomy enough and has a well-fitting lid, will be fine in a low oven for three hours. Stir gently every hour or so. Because you won't be using a huge amount of liquid, the top can dry out a little otherwise.

Ceramic is good-help to have a lid. Keep lid on in the oven and then if it looks as if its not thickening up, you can take it off .

X post here with stew lessons!

Oh- ! last bit of probably useless advice - I see you are a confident cook, but remember to taste it- it tends to change as its cooking and intensifies up so I always go a bit easy on the salt and pepper at the beginning- you can always add more later

I don't tend to add salt, as there is salt in the stock cubes (and soy if you add that)

packs of stewing beef already cubed

Onions
Carrots
salt pepper and flour
boiling water

1 slow cooker

stick the kettle on

finely chop the onion and put in the pot, chop carrots and add to sc, dust the meat with flour seasoned with the s and p and put it in the sc.

If you like stock cubes crumble on in now and add any herbs you like.
Cover with boiling water and cook on high for 5 hours.

It also works on the hob or in the oven, on the hob I would do it for 1 hour, in the oven 2.

15 mins before the end add your dumplings or serve with mash.

Best thread ever I have nothing to add to what's already been said but am very happy I picked up some braising steak at the butcher's earlier

Right, you lot are FAB- made it with shin on beef, onions, carrots, celeriac and half Guinness half stock.

It was BRILLIANT.

Easily the highlight of the weekend, particularly as in laws are actually arseholes. But well-fed arseholes. I may add arsenic next time

Thanks again everyone, I have a new dish to add to my repertoire

So - you like beef now glad it went well - next time ( subversive here) do it with kidney as well it gives an even better flavour :)

a very old mum - 90 plus - hope i'm not completely a back number - wot a wonderful resource the technology has brought........all best to all!

Welcome Judy

Glad it was a success Tethersend - pity about the in-laws! I have not made beef stew this year so far but when I do I always make Jamie Olivers Jools;s Fav Stew which has red wine, sage, onions, carrots, butternut squash, herbs and stock in it and when it is cooked you chop up garlic, flat leaf parsley and lemon zest and sprinkle on top of the hot stew - amazing! I actually must make it again soon.