method

There are a few way to cook this dish, the long ways, or, the short ways. I'm using the short way, in a pressure cooker! However, you can simply put it in a stove top pan and cook for a couple of hours, or, in the oven. Whichever way you choose, just cook it until the braising steak is litterally falling apart, which is normally about two hours in a pan/oven dish, or as little as 30 mins in the pressure cooker! I'll then let it cool and develop overnight, re-heating it in the oven the next day and adding dumplings for the last 30 mins.

Gather all the ingredients you need:

Method for the stew

1. firstly, set a heavy based pan onto a high heat & add oil & bay leaves

2. dice the beef steaks into chunks
3. on a plate, season the flour & rub your diced beef into it
4. add the beef to the very hot pan & do not move it for two minutes

5. after two minutes flip & repeat, then stir fry until it is well browned

6. set your beef into the cooking pot
7. turn the pan heat down & add your shallots, just cook slightly

8. add carrots & celery to the pan stir fry

9. add your onions, carrots & celery to the cooking pot
10. place your mushrooms into the pan and gently fry

11. add your mushrooms to the cooking pot

12. add water to the pan

13. then add the stock ingredients
    • onion powder
    • red wine stock*
    • beef & veg stock
    • Worcestershire sauce & mustard

*if using red wine it will need to be reduced to quarter of it's original volume. Use the same pan to deglaze all those lovely stuck on bits, & please only use wine you can drink! No cheap nasty bottles allowed!

14. mix bisto™ powder with a little water
15. add peppercorns & long peppers & simmer for a min

16. then whisk in the bisto powder solution

17. allow to thicken & add to the cooking pot

18. cook in a pressure cooker set to 'meat' for 30 minutes, or, set covered on the stove top on low or oven for 2 hours @ 160c

While that's cooking you can make your dumplings, see below

19. tip back into oven dish once cooked
20. remove as many visible long peppers & bay leaves as possible

21. as stated at the start, I reheat mine in the oven the following day @ 160c for 45 minutes adding dumplings for the last 30 minutes
22. If placing straight in the oven still hot simply top with the dumplings and bake at 160c for 30 minutes covered & remove the lid for the last 10 minutes

Method for the dumplings

1. tip the flour into a bowl, add salt & stir through
2. add the suet and stir through
3. make a well in the center, add 3 Tbsp water & combine, if it seems too dry to create a dough, add more water 1/2 a Tbsp at a time

This should be a dry dough that just holds together.

Note: Don't make the dough so wet that you have to add more flour, as that will upset the balance of flour to suet.

4. get some cling film, roll into a sausage, then remove the cling film & cut into 8 pieces
5. take each piece of dough wrap in cling film and roll into a ball

6. top your stew with them when it has 30 minutes left to cook

7. cook covered for 20 minutes @ 160c
8. then uncovered for 10 minutes & serve

Serving suggestion

Beef stew & dumplings and a spoon, you will not require knives as the meat should simply melt in your mouth :-)

It's good enough just as it is! over at Nutty's Kitchen!

Or, it goes really well with potatoes if you have a hungry crew :-)

Packed with beef bangin' flavour, this is one nutritious winter warmer you shouldn't go without!

Enjoy :¬)