This beef stew is one of my go-to favorite meals when I need to feed a crowd. I especially love it because unlike most beef stew recipes, there is no browning of the meat! Serve it over egg noddles or rice or with a crusty baguette. Don’t forget the wine!
Easiest Beef Stew
1 onion
2 parsnips
½ a butternut squash
8 sprigs of fresh sage
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
4 carrots
2 pounds stewing meat, cut into pieces
Flour
1 pound small potatoes
2 tablespoons tomato purée
½ a bottle of red wine
2 cups organic beef or vegetable stock
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 300ºF
Peel and roughly chop the onion, peel and quarter the parsnips and peel and halve the carrots. Deseed and roughly dice the squash (or use pre-cut squash which you can buy at your grocery store. . Pick and wash the sage leaves.
Heat the oil and the butter in a large stock pan on a medium heat, add the onion and sage leaves, then fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
Toss the meat in flour, then add it to the pan with all the vegetables, the tomato purée, wine and stock, then gently stir together. Season to taste with black pepper and sea salt.
Bring to the boil, place a lid on top, then place in the oven until the meat is fork tender – between 3- 4 hours.
Once cooked, turn the oven down to about 225°F until you’re ready to serve.
As a final touch, mix together the lemon zest, rosemary and garlic and sprinkle over the stew before serving.