Beef Stew

炖牛肉

Ingredients

700g beef (well marbled, don't buy those prepacked and labelled for beef stew as I find that the meat is not as tender. Can use oxtail too.)

3 pieces of smoked bacon (cut into 1cm strips)

1 large onion (cut into wedges/slices)

3 garlic cloves (smashed lightly)

200ml red wine

600ml beef broth (plain water also can, reduce accordingly if more red wine is used)

3 bay leaves

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Fresh or dried thymes

Vegetables (carrots, radish, potatoes and celery)

1 spoonful of love

Method

1. Sprinkle beef (700g) with 1/4 tsp salt and dashes of black pepper.

2. Fry smoked bacon under medium heat in wok with 1 tablespoon oil until edges are crispy. Remove bacon to serve as topping. 

3. Turn up the heat for wok to very high (i.e. starting to smoke) and sear the beef in wok until nicely browned on all sides. Transfer to the pot used for stewing later.

4. Turn down the heat for wok to low, add some oil (if required) into same wok and saute onion and garlic cloves until light golden on the edges.

5. Pour red wine into wok to deglaze the beef bits in the wok. Add beef broth, tomato paste, bay leaves and thyme (3-4 fresh sprigs or 1/2 tsp dried) to the wok. Once boiled, transfer the liquid to the pot of beef and simmer for 1 hour.

6. Add your favourite vegetables (eg potatoes, celery, carrot, white radish) and continue to simmer for 1 hour.

7. Prepare roux to thicken the beef stew. (Melt 10g butter and stir in 10g plain flour; stir under low heat until slightly browned.)

8. Take a bit of beef broth from the pot and mix into the roux. Then pour back into the pot to combine with rest of the broth. Stir gently until thickened.

9. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.