How to Make My Mother’s Recipe Slow Cooked Beef Stew

Beef Stew is delicious made in the slow cooker. It is also a good way of getting a lot of vegetables eaten that you might not always have. Well they aren’t part of our staples anyway. This is something that our young children always moaned about (because vegetables) but always eat.

Of course you can always change the vegetables to add more or less of what you fancy or have at hand! For example why not add a turnip or some celeriac!

Actually until fairly recently beef stew was about the other thing I made in the slow cooker! With the exception of mixed meats stew slow cooked – which is what I used to do after Christmas with the leftovers! You can now see that I have other slow cooker recipes that I use!

Seasonings for Slow Cooked Beef Stew

My children are also disappointed that I am not the kind of person that adds what I would consider unnecessary seasonings. They would disagree and say that they add flavour. But no, not so much as an additional salt or pepper! I just let the vegetables provide the taste. Well other than the beef stock!

Ingredients

• Diced Stewing Beef
• Carrots
• Parsnips
• Leeks
• Celery
• Swede
• Onion
• Beef Stock
• Potatoes – and butter/milk
• Dumpling mix/flour (optional)

Equipment

• Slow cooker (given)
• Frying pan
• Spatula
• Saucepan
• Kettle/jug – or some way of making the stock
• Potato masher
• Spoon
• Serving spoon
• Knife
• Chopping board

Preparing a Slow Cooked Beef Stew

With our family size keep changing I have to admit I am still finding it hard to get the quantities right. Obviously a smaller pack of diced stewing beef for us now there’s only four of us, but the vegetable quantities are harder! This is also why I haven’t put any amounts. Also I tend to bulk up with more things that are enjoyed (such as carrots) and less of what they may complain about (parsnips).

Obviously everything needs washing, peeling, chopping. But what I tend to do next is to put the vegetables into the slow cooker to see how much room they take up. Not only do you need to make sure they fit, and there’s room for the meat but additional room if you want to make dumplings. When you have the right amount then take them out and put them in a saucepan.

How To Cook Beef Stew in the Slow Cooker

I am sure that there are many methods. All the Bored of Lunch recipes I have followed all just put everything straight into the slow cooker. We have often found that things like potatoes do not cook properly so I am writing this up the way my mother taught me. You can adapt it to what works best for you. This also means we have mashed potatoes with ours, cooked separately, again you may want to vary this.

1. Prepare all the veg as above – peeling/chopping washing. You want the vegetables bite-sized but not too small that they just sort of dissolve. This also helps with any vegetables that aren’t really that liked – as it is easier to hide their taste.
2. In a frying pan brown off some onions and add the stewing beef.
3. Turn the beef over so that all the sides are seared (they change colour!)
4. Add the beef and onions to the slow cooker.
5. Place your vegetables in a pan of water and bring to the boil.
6. Mix in beef stock to the vegetable water and transfer the vegetables and beef stock water to the slow cooker.
7. Cook on low all day whilst you are busy (for us that is 8-5).
8. When you are nearly ready to eat boil some potatoes (this may take around 30 minutes).
9. Optional make up some dumpling mix and add to the slow cooker. Remember to turn the temperature up to high!
10. Mash your potatoes and add milk and butter to them.
11. Serve and enjoy!