Bloody Mary Beef Stew Recipe

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
500g diced braising steak
2 red onions
1 garlic cloves
4 carrots
4 celery sticks
1 chilli (optional)
A handful of rosemary
1 beef stock cube
800g tinned chopped tomatoes
200-300ml cold water
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper
1kg potatoes
A handful of flat leaf parsley
45g butter
1 tbsp horseradish mustard
1 tbsp worcester sauce
4 tbsp cold water (optional)

Prep: 20 mins | Cook: 1 hr 20mins-6 hrs 10 mins

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Method

1. Warm a large frying pan (or casserole dish, if you’re braising the beef on the hob) for 2 mins, then add 1 tbsp oil and add the braising steak. Fry for 10 mins, turning a few times till the beef is browned all over. While it’s cooking, drain off any liquid into a bowl to allow the beef to brown rather than boil. Keep this liquid.

2. While the beef is cooking, peel and thickly slice the red onions. Peel and thinly slice the garlic clove. Trim and thickly slice the carrots. Trim the celery and cut it into 2cm-thick slices. From this point on, follow the method for cooking the stew in the slow cooker or on the hob.

3. In the Slow Cooker: Tip the beef into a 3½ ltr slow cooker, along with its cooking liquid. Add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery. Halve the chilli, if using, and drop it in. For a slightly milder stew, flick out the seeds.

4. Drop in the rosemary sprigs and crumble in the stock cube. Tip in the tins of chopped tomatoes and pour in 200ml water. Season generously with salt and pepper. Stir well, then pop on the lid. Set the slow cooker to medium and cook for 6 hrs. For a faster stew, set the slow cooker to high and cook for 5 hrs, or set to low and cook for 8-10 hrs.

5. When the beef has 30 mins left to cook, peel and chop the potatoes into equal-sized chunks. Pop in a large pan. Cover with cold water and add a pinch of salt. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 mins till the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.

6. While the potatoes are cooking, finely chop the parsley stalks and roughly chop the leaves, but keep them separate.

7. Drain the potatoes and tip them back into the pan. Add the butter, 1 tbsp horseradish mustard and some salt and pepper. Mash till smooth. Pop the lid back on to keep warm while you finish the beef.

8. When the beef is cooked, add the parsley stalks and 1 tbsp worcester sauce. Taste and add more seasoning if you think it needs it. Divide the buttery horseradish mash between 4 warm bowls and spoon over the spicy Bloody Mary beef. Garnish with the parsley leaves to serve.

9. On the Hob: When the beef is browned, lift it out of the pan and pop in the bowl with any reserved cooking liquid. Add 4 tbsp water to the pan then add the onion. Fry on a medium low heat, stirring now and then, for 8 mins till softened and lightly coloured. Add the garlic, carrots and celery. Cook for 2 mins.

10. Halve the chilli, if using and drop it in. For a slightly milder stew, flick out the seeds. Drop in the rosemary sprigs and crumble in the stock cube. Tip in the chopped tomatoes with 300ml water.

11. Add the beef back to the pan, along with any resting juices. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir then pop on the lid. Simmer on a medium heat for 1 hr 30 mins till the beef is tender and the sauce thickened. Stir every now and then and if the sauce is looking dry, add a splash or 2 of water.

12. When the beef has 30 mins left to cook, peel and chop the potatoes into equal-sized chunks. Pop into a large pan. Cover with cold water and add a pinch of salt. Cover with a lid, bring to a boil, then simmer for 15-20 mins till the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.

13. While the potatoes are cooking, finely chop the parley stalks and roughly chop the leaves, but keep them separate.

14. Drain the potatoes and tip them back into the pan. Add the butter, 1 tbsp horseradish mustard and some seasoning. Mash till smooth. Pop the lid back on to keep warm while you finish the beef.

15. When the beef is cooked, add the parsley stalks and 1 tbsp Worcester sauce. Taste and add more seasoning if you think it needs it. Divide the buttery horseradish mash between 4 warm bowls and spoon over the spicy Bloody Mary beef. Scatter over the parsley leaves to serve.