When the September evenings start getting cooler, this is exactly the kind of dinner you want waiting for you.
Our beef and red wine stew recipe combines tender British beef with red wine, rich beef stock, herbs and vegetables, all slowly cooked until the meat practically falls apart.
Served over buttery, creamy mashed potato, it's proper comfort food, rich, warming and full of deep savoury flavour.
Better still, most of the hard work happens in the oven. Give the beef plenty of time and you're rewarded with a beautifully rich stew that's perfect for a relaxed weekend dinner.
- Serves: 4-6
- Preparation: 25 minutes
- Cooking: Approximately 3 hours
- Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients
For the beef stew
- 1kg diced British beef, ideally chuck or another cut suitable for slow cooking
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp vegetable or olive oil
- 2 onions, roughly chopped
- 3 carrots, cut into generous pieces
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 500ml red wine
- 500ml beef stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the creamy mash
- 1kg floury potatoes
- 75g unsalted butter
- 100ml whole milk
- 50ml double cream
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
To finish
- Small handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- Fresh thyme, optional
Method
-
Prepare the beef
Preheat your oven to 160°C / 140°C fan.
Pat the beef dry with kitchen paper.
Season the flour generously with salt and pepper, then lightly toss the diced beef through it.
Shake off any excess flour.
-
Brown the meat
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish over a medium-high heat.
Brown the beef in batches rather than putting everything into the pan at once.
Give the pieces enough space to develop a deep brown crust, turning them to colour several sides.
Transfer each batch to a plate while you cook the remaining beef.
-
Build the flavour
Reduce the heat slightly and add the remaining oil.
Add the onions, carrots and celery and cook for around 8–10 minutes until they begin to soften and colour.
Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.
Add the tomato purée and cook for another couple of minutes.
-
Add the red wine
Pour in the red wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape all those caramelised bits from the bottom of the casserole.
Allow the wine to bubble for several minutes and reduce slightly.
Those browned pieces on the base of the pan are packed with flavour, so don't leave them behind.
-
Slow cook the stew
Return the beef and any resting juices to the casserole.
Pour in the beef stock and add the Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves and thyme.
Bring everything to a gentle simmer.
Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for approximately 2½–3 hours, or until the beef is beautifully tender.
Check it occasionally towards the end of cooking. If the sauce is thinner than you'd like, remove the lid for the final 20–30 minutes.
-
Make the creamy mash
Peel the potatoes and cut them into evenly sized pieces.
Place in a large saucepan of salted cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until completely tender.
Drain thoroughly and allow them to steam dry for a couple of minutes.
Mash until smooth.
Gently warm the butter, milk and cream before gradually beating them into the potato.
Season with salt and black pepper.
-
Check the stew
Remove the casserole from the oven and discard the bay leaves and thyme stalks.
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning.
The finished stew should have tender pieces of beef surrounded by a rich, glossy sauce.
-
Serve
Spoon a generous helping of creamy mash into warm bowls.
Top with the slow-cooked beef and plenty of red wine gravy.
Finish with chopped parsley and bring straight to the table.
Butcher’s Suggestion
For slow cooking, don't automatically reach for the leanest piece of beef.
A cut with some connective tissue and marbling will transform during a long, gentle cook, giving you tender meat and a much richer sauce.
And when browning the beef, work in batches. Give every piece enough contact with the hot pan to develop a proper crust, that's where much of your stew's flavour begins.-
What cut of beef is best for beef stew?
For a slow-cooked beef stew, you don't need the most tender or expensive steak cuts.
Cuts such as chuck work particularly well because slow cooking gives the connective tissue time to break down, producing tender meat and adding body and richness to the sauce.
Your butcher can recommend the best British beef for slow cooking if you're unsure which cut to choose.
Do you have to brown beef before making a stew?
Technically, you can make a stew without browning the beef first, but you'll sacrifice flavour.
Browning creates the deep, savoury flavours that give a good beef stew its richness.
The trick is to brown the beef in small batches. Overcrowding the pan causes the meat to release moisture and steam rather than develop that caramelised crust.
What wine is best for beef stew?
Choose a dry red wine that you'd be happy to drink.
Fuller-bodied reds work particularly well with beef, but there's no need to use an expensive bottle.
Avoid very sweet wines, as these can change the balance of the finished sauce.
Can beef stew be made in advance?
Yes, and it's arguably even better the following day.
Cook the stew, allow it to cool safely and refrigerate it. The flavours will continue to develop overnight.
Reheat thoroughly and make fresh mash when you're ready to serve.
This makes it particularly useful when you're entertaining and don't want to spend the evening in the kitchen.
Can you freeze beef and red wine stew?
Yes. The stew itself freezes well.
Allow it to cool before transferring it to a suitable airtight container and freezing. Defrost safely before reheating thoroughly.
I'd make the mashed potato fresh where possible.
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