Beef Stew Recipe

Instructions

1. Dice the beef into chunks about 2½ cm.
2. Put the beef and flour in a container, such as a plastic bag, and shake or squish until the beef is well-coated. Use more flour for a thicker stew, or less for a thinner stew. Set aside.
3. Peel the carrots, cut them into pieces about the same size as the beef. Set aside.
4. Cut the potatoes and celery likewise. Set aside.
5. Dice the onion into 1½ cm.
6. Put a small amount of oil into a Frying pan and heat it.
7. Caramelise the onion in the frying pan. Remove and tip into a large heavy base saucepan.
8. In several batches, brown the beef in the frying pan with the oil.
9. Put the beef, all the spices, tomato juice, and the stock in to the saucepan.
10. Cover the saucepan, then simmer for at least an hour to soften the beef.
    Stir the stew every few minutes to prevent the beef from burning on the bottom of the saucepan.
11. Add the carrots to the stew, and simmer a bit more. (stirring every few minutes)
12. Add the onion, potato and celery, and simmer a bit more. (stirring every few minutes)
13. Simmer and stir for around 1½ hours or until all the vegetables are soft but not yet falling apart, remove the bay leaf and serve the stew.