Explore the Recipes

The kind of meal that makes everything feel okay. Slow-cooked beef stew is sometimes the only thing you need to brighten up a tough day.

Some recipes are about technique. Some are about ingredients. This one is about time – and the magic that happens when you leave something alone and let it do its thing. A rich, deeply flavoured beef stew, slow-cooked until the meat is falling apart, served over the creamiest cheddar and spring onion mash. Proper comfort food in every sense of the word.

Makes 4 generous portions | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 2 hrs 30 mins

---

How to make Slow-Cooked Beef Stew with Cheddar Mash

Ingredients:

For the stew: 500g stewing beef steak, 2 white onions (chopped), 3 – 4 garlic cloves (minced), 2 carrots (chopped), 2 parsnips (chopped), 2 celery sticks (chopped), 2 tins chopped tomatoes, generous glug of red wine, beef stock, mixed herbs, salt and pepper, olive oil

For the cheddar mash: 750g white potatoes, mature cheddar (grated), spring onion, knob of butter, splash of milk, salt and pepper, fresh chives to serve

Method:

Start with the beef. Season generously and brown in batches in a little olive oil over a high heat. Don’t rush this. A good sear is where the flavour starts and it’s worth taking the time. Remove and set aside.

Build the base. In the same pot, fry off the onions, garlic, carrots, parsnips and celery until softened. Add the mixed herbs and season well. Pour in a generous glug of red wine and let it reduce for a few minutes, scraping up any of those caramelised bits from the bottom of the pot – that’s all flavour.

Low and slow. Return the beef to the pot, add the chopped tomatoes and enough beef stock to just cover everything. Bring to a gentle simmer, put the lid on and leave it alone for at least two hours. The beef should be completely tender and falling apart. Taste and adjust the seasoning before serving.

For the mash. Boil the potatoes until completely tender, drain well and mash with butter, a splash of milk, grated cheddar and chopped spring onion. Season generously. Top with fresh chives.

To serve. Spoon the mash into bowls and ladle the stew generously over the top. Don’t hold back.

A few notes:

Browning the beef in batches rather than all at once is the single most important step. Overcrowding the pan steams rather than sears and you’ll lose that depth of flavour before the stew has even started.

This reheats beautifully and is arguably even better the next day once everything has had time to sit together. Make a big batch and thank yourself later in the week.

A slow cooker works brilliantly here for a slow-cooked beef stew if you have one – brown everything first as above, then transfer and cook on low for 6 – 8 hours.

I can also highly recommend my apple crumble recipe if you’re building the ultimate Sunday comfort food recipe.