Comforting Beef And Tomato Stew

I’ve posted recipes in the past for both a hearty beef stew and a simple beef goulash, this rich, tomatoey and comforting beef stew is somewhere in between the two. Flavoured with rich paprika and a variety of winter root vegetables, this recipe is warming, filling and healthy.

You will need:
3 tbsp plain flour
3 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1000g braising steak, cut into good sized chunks
2 tbsp vegetable oil (rapeseed oil)
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
1 medium carrot, finely chopped
3 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 tbsp tomato puree
2 medium/large carrots, roughly chopped
1 small swede, roughly chopped
1 large parsnip, roughly chopped
1 can of chopped tomatoes
750ml beef stock
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 rounded tbsp english mustard
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp dried oregano
2 large potatoes, roughly chopped
2 large sweet potatoes, roughly chopped
1 small butternut squash, roughly chopped
1 tin butter beans, drained

Method:
1. Mix the flour, paprika, salt and pepper together in a large bowl, add the braising steak and toss until thoroughly coated.
2. Add half the oil to a very large saucepan and warm over a high heat.
3. Add the beef to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the beef is nicely browned.
4. Remove the beef from the pan and set aside in the large bowl.
5. Turn the heat down to medium/low, pour the remaining oil into the pan and add the onions. Cook the onions for 3 - 4 minutes, until they start to soften.
6. Add the finely chopped carrot, celery and tomato puree and cook for a further 3 - 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Return the beef to the pan, add the remaining carrots, swede, parsnip, tomatoes, stock, vinegar, mustard, worcestershire sauce and oregano and stir thoroughly. Allow the stock to come up to the boil, turn the heat down low, cover with the lid and allow the stock to simmer for 20 - 30 minutes.
8. Add the potatoes, sweet potatoes and squash to the pan, re-cover and allow to cook, over a low heat, for a further 30 - 40 minutes.
9. Add the butter beans, turn up the heat to medium and cook uncovered for 5 - 10 minutes, to warm through the beans.
10. Check the seasoning of the stew and add more salt and pepper if required.

Notes:
Serve with warm, buttered toast for just about the most comforting meal there is. I had half a punnet of mushrooms sat in the fridge and threw these in to add a little extra bulk and flavour.

Simple Beef Goulash

It's getting late in the year, the nights are long and dark and the met office is forecasting a prolonged cold snap. Can you think of a better time for cooking stews and soups? No, me neither and this flavour bomb from eastern europe is one of the richest, most warming and outright comforting stews there is.

You will need:
2 tbsp vegetable (rapeseed) oil
700g stewing steak, cut into chunks
2 tbsp sweet paprika
1 tbsp hot paprika
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp caraway seeds
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 onions, thinly sliced lengthways
1 tbsp tomato puree
2 green peppers, thinly sliced lengthways
1 tin chopped tomatoes
500ml water

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 140°C.
2. Add half the oil to a cast iron casserole dish (or any other hob resistant casserole dish) and warm over a medium/high heat.
3. Mix the paprika, flour, caraway, salt and pepper in a bowl, add in the beef and toss to coat.
4. Add the beef to the casserole dish and cook until golden brown and nicely crusted. Do this in batches so you don't overload the dish. Once browned remove the beef from the dish and set aside in a bowl.
5. De-glaze the dish with a small amount of water, scraping the bottom to get any tough bits and pour over the beef.
6. Pour the remaining oil in to the dish, add in the onions and cook until softened and starting to brown.
7. Stir in the tomato puree and the remaining flour mix and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring very regularly.
8. Add in the peppers, return the beef to the dish, including the juices from the bottom of the bowl, pour over the tinned tomatoes and add enough just enough water to cover.
9. Cover with the lid and cook in the oven for at least 2 hours, the longer the better, occasionally checking the water level and adding more if it looks dry.

Notes:
This is a such a rich, flavoursome and versatile dish that it can be served over rice or pasta, alongside mashed potatoes, with dumplings or even just in a bowl with hunks of buttered bread.