Beef Stew

Rainy Saturday means comfort food and the sofa. This Beef Stew can simmer away as you relax watching some old movie and relax.

800g Diced Beef

2 Small Onions diced

1 Peppers diced

2 Cloves Garlic chopped

Dozen or so Button Mushrooms

3 Stalks of Celery diced

2 Carrots Diced

100g Pancetta/Smokey Bacon diced

1 Oxo cube

1 Tablespoon tomato puree

1 Bottle Dark Ale (I use Hobgoblin)

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Plain Flour

4 or 5 Potatoes cut into big chunks, not peeled.

1 Bay Leaf

Couple of Stalks worth of Fresh Thyme

Salt & Pepper to season

• Heat the oil in a heavy bottomed pan and brown off the beef in batches on a high heat then remove from the pan.
• Add the Pancetta/Bacon and cook till it starts to brown.
• Add the onions, garlic, peppers and carrots. Cook for 5 mins on a high heat then reduce the heat to low, whack the lid on and simmer for 10 mins.
• Stir in the flour and puree and cook for a couple of mins
• Add the beer and stir in slowly to thicken it.
• Add the beef, potatoes, mushrooms, oxo cube, thyme, and bay leaf and bring to the boil.
• Reduce and simmer for as long as you can. The longer the cooking the richer the gravy.
• Serve and scoff on the sofa in bowls with a grin