Recipe: The Simplest Beef Casserole (Slow Cooker)

I am a huge fan of complex dishes containing many flavours, that challenge and delight my taste buds, but sometimes a back to basics approach with flavours works equally well. My last beef casserole was complex, this one is simple; showcasing the delicious beef from Pipers Farm, and is less challenging to my taste buds after the rich food of Christmas.

Like many online butchers Pipers Farm offer a next day delivery of frozen meat.  Your meat arrives, wrapped in duvet of wool; so much more sustainable than those ghastly expanded polystyrene boxes.

This casserole only contains meat, stock, wine, flour, onions and a little oil or dripping.  Simple but so delicious!

Recipe: Simple Beef Casserole – Slow Cooked

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tbs vegetable oil or dripping
2  onions, chopped
500g beef – brisket / stewing / shin – cut into 2.5cm cubes
2 tbs flour
1 mug beef stock – I used a Knorr stock pot
1  small glass of  red wine

Pour half the oil or dripping into a large frying pan and fry the  onions few minutes until softened, transfer to the slow cooker pot or casserole dish.

Fry off the cubed beef in batches adding a little more oil or dripping as needed – there should be space around each piece so it browns properly.  Once browned add to your cooking pot.   When frying off the last batch of beef add the flour, this should absorb all the remaining fat.  Cook for a few minutes and transfer to your cooking pot.

If necessary deglaze the pan with some of the stock.  Pour the stock and wine over the beef and onions and stir.   If necessary add a little water so the beef is almost covered.

Slow Cooker – Cook on high until simmering, and then turn down to low and cook for 5 to 8 hours until the beef is tender.  If the casserole needs thickening prop the lid of the cooker open with a wooden spoon so some liquid can evaporate.

Oven – Cook for two and a half hours at 150°C / 300°F / GM 2.

Serve with green vegetables and mash to soak up that delicious gravy, I made my maple cumin mash with sweet potatoes.

Many thanks to Pipers Farm for the box of delicious meat, and to the Handpicked Collection for the beautiful olive wood board I used in the photos.