Diced beef

Pat it dry and brown it in small batches in a hot pan, then add it to the stew and cook gently with the lid on. A rapid boil can make the meat tough; simmer until it is tender enough to break apart with a fork, usually around 1½–2½ hours.

For a typical beef stew, cook it on low for 6–8 hours or high for 4–5 hours, until fork-tender. Browning the beef first adds flavour, though you can put it straight into the slow cooker.

It is usually cut for slow cooking, so it can stay chewy in a quick stir-fry. Choose beef labelled for stir-frying; if you only have stewing dice, cut it into thinner pieces across the grain and cook briefly over a high heat.

It is a classic choice for beef stew, beef and ale pie, and slow-cooked beef curry. Serve stew with mash or dumplings, or use the tender beef and gravy as a pie filling.

Keep it covered in the fridge at 5°C or below and use it by the use-by date. Store it on the bottom shelf so raw juices cannot drip onto other food.

Yes. Freeze it before its use-by date, in a sealed freezer bag or container; thaw it in the fridge and use it within 24 hours of thawing.

Yes. Cut the stewing steak into even-sized chunks and brown them as you would diced beef; both work well in a casserole or pie filling and need gentle cooking until tender.