The best way to make a good stew is low and slow, low in heat and long in cooking time so it makes perfect sense to get out the slow cooker and settle into the flavor-bursting slow cooking season affectionately known as Crock-tober.
I am starting my Slow-Cooker recipe season with a beautiful slow-cooked highland beef stew. This is an old family favorite and something I regularly had with the greatest cook in the land, my granny.
Although this recipe is old and well tested, I have tried to tweak the original recipe by removing some of the unhealthy fats and ingredients to make it a really healthy dish that almost everyone can enjoy.
To make this fantastic Highland Beef Stew, you will need the following ingredients.
1kg Brazing steak (Angus/Silverside).
1 Small swede, chopped, large chunks.
3 large carrots, chopped, large chunks.
2 Medium onions, chopped, large chunks.
10-12 Baby new potatoes, halved.
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced.
2-3 splashes of Worcestershire sauce
700ml beef stock, (I use Knorr rich-beef stockpot)
3 Bay leaves
1Tsp. dried thyme.
Salt & Freshly Ground black pepper.
Bringing it all together.
Power up the slow cooker to high heat and with the lid on, leave to warm up for at least 20 minutes whilst we turn our attention to preparing the ingredients.
Using a large bowl to save opening and closing the crock-pot whilst prepping, chop all of your vegetables, garlic and stewing beef into large but biteable chunks, and add to the bowl.
Once all of the main ingredients have been chopped, ready some good quality beef stock. I use 2 Knorr rich-beef stock pots and 1 tablespoon of corn flour/corn-starch (mixed with a little water) to give a really great depth of flavour and a rich, dark colour to the finished dish, but you can use any stock that you prefer.
It is worth remembering and I can’t stress this enough, the better the quality of the stock, the better the quality of the finished dish!
Remove the lid and transfer the chopped ingredients to the slow cooker/crock-pot. pour the stock over the mix along with a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce and give a little mix to even out the mixture. Add 2 or 3 bay leaves, and a teaspoon of dried thyme. Generously season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Cover and allow to cook out for 6-7 hours.
Depending on the amount of liquid released from the ingredients, it may require a little more cornflour/corn-starch at the end of the cooking period.
Your slow-cooker Highland Beef Stew should be melt-away and be really rich in both colour and flavour. Serve with some mashed potatoes or if you are not watching the pounds, some freshly baked and butter crusty bread.
Enjoy.
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