Beef casserole recipe
It’s best to buy thickly sliced braising beef (chuck steak) for this recipe as you will be able to cut it into nice large chunks. If you can only find the precut kind, choose meat with a good marbling of fat if you can. Lean, or extra trimmed, diced beef is more likely to be dry when cooked. The additional fat will bring flavour to the casserole and you can always skim off any excess with a spoon once its cooked. Supermarkets rarely label their beef as braising steak nowadays, it's more likely to be called diced beef (or slow cook diced beef). Take the time to brown your meat and caramelise the onions as this adds loads of flavour to the casserole. Any cooking oil, or even beef dripping, can be used, so use whatever you have handy, and be prepared to add a little extra if needed. Medium to large onions give the best results for this casserole – you’ll need a total weight of around 350g/12oz before peeling. If you have only small onions, simply make up the weight by adding one or two more. A couple of sliced celery sticks can be added along with the onions if you have some handy. If you need this recipe to be gluten free, you can swap in gluten-free flour and stock cubes. Instead of dried herbs, you could add fresh. A combination of woody herbs such as thyme, rosemary and bay leaves work well. They don’t have to be chopped first if you are happy to fish out the stalks after cooking, or you could tie them into a bouquet garni with kitchen string. Red wine adds richness to the casserole, but you can replace it with extra stock if preferred. Try beer as an alternative too if you fancy, adding a couple of teaspoons of sugar to balance the bitterness. Add extra vegetables such as parsnips, turnips and swede at the same time as the carrots, or softer vegetables like courgettes, peppers and leeks for the last 30 minutes of the cooking time. Button mushrooms can be used instead of closed cup, but its best to cut in half rather than slice so they don’t fall apart. If using larger portabello mushrooms, cut in half and then slice in the opposite direction so the pieces cook evenly and are easy to eat. If you don’t have any plain flour handy, you can always thicken the casserole with cornflour at the end of the cooking time instead. You’ll need around 3–4 tbsp cornflour mixed with the same about of water. The difference between a casserole and a stew is that a casserole goes in the oven. If it suits you better to use the hob then you can simmer it on the lowest possible heat until the meat is tender and the sauce thickened. Give it a stir occasionally and check it's not drying out (add more water as needed). To freeze the casserole If making ahead, cook up until the end of step 5, reducing the cooking time by 25 minutes. Transfer to a large shallow dish, such as a lasagne dish, and leave to cool, stirring occasionally (transferring to a shallow dish will allow the casserole to cool more quickly). Once cold, spoon into freezer-proof containers, cover, label and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw for 24–36 hours in the fridge, depending on the size of the container. Reheat in a lidded casserole at 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5 for about 40 minutes, or until piping hot throughout, stirring once. If freezing leftovers, spoon into individual freezer-proof containers and allow to cool. Cover, label and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge, transfer to a microwaveable dish and stir well. Reheat on HIGH (full power) for 4–5 minutes, or until piping hot throughout, stirring halfway through the cooking time.