Slow-braised beef stew with red wine and winter vegetables

Ingredients

• 700 g beef stewing meat (e.g., chuck or sukade)
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, in pieces
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 250 ml full-bodied red wine
• 400 ml beef stock
• 3 carrots, in large pieces
• 2 parsnips, in large pieces
• 400 g firm-boiling potatoes, halved
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• Olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• Handful fresh parsley, coarsely chopped

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the beef into roughly 4 cm cubes. Pat them dry with kitchen paper and season generously with salt and pepper.Heat the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a splash of olive oil and brown the meat in batches until nicely browned all over. Remove the meat and set aside.Sauté the onion, garlic and celery in the same fat until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute so the flavor releases.Pour in the red wine and scrape the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let the wine reduce for 3 minutes.Return the meat to the pot. Add the beef stock, bay leaves and thyme. The liquid should just cover the meat; top up with extra stock if needed.Put the lid on the pot and let the stew simmer gently over low heat for at least 2.5 hours. Stir occasionally and check the liquid level.After 2 hours add the carrots, parsnips and potatoes. Let everything cook for another 30 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the meat falls apart.Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve straight from the pot.