Description
This hearty Beef and Vegetable Casserole is a comforting and flavorful one-pot dish featuring tender beef chunks simmered with fresh vegetables, herbs, and red wine, resulting in a rich and savory meal perfect for family dinners or gatherings.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Meat and Vegetables
- 1000 g beef, oyster blade or similar
- 2 large onions, peeled
- 2 large carrots, peeled
- 3 stalks celery, ends removed
- 250 g button mushrooms
- 2 large potatoes, peeled
Dry and Seasonings
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
Herbs and Liquids
- 8 sprigs thyme, stems removed
- 3 bay leaves
- 4 tbsp parsley, roughly chopped
Oils and Sauces
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 500 ml red wine
- 400 g tomato purée
- 750 ml beef stock
Additional
- Crusty bread, to serve
Instructions
- Prepare the beef: Roughly dice the beef into 3cm chunks, trimming off any excess fat. Place into a bowl and coat with flour, salt, and pepper, tossing to coat evenly. Set aside.
- Prepare the vegetables: Chop onions into large wedges, dice carrots and celery into large chunks, halve or quarter mushrooms, and chop potatoes into large chunks. Keep the potatoes in cold water to prevent browning.
- Brown the beef: Heat a large oven-proof pot over high heat, add olive oil, and brown the beef until lightly colored on all sides. If flour sticks to the pot, add a splash of red wine to loosen. Transfer browned beef to a bowl and set aside.
- Sauté the vegetables: Reduce heat to medium-high, add more olive oil, then cook onions, carrots, celery, thyme, and bay leaves for 5 minutes until softened. Stir in tomato purée and mushrooms, cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour in red wine, simmer 2-3 minutes to reduce alcohol.
- Combine ingredients: Return beef and juices to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Add beef stock until the ingredients are covered by about 3-4cm of liquid. Bring to a boil.
- Cook in oven: Cover with a lid and transfer to a preheated oven at 150°C (300°F). Cook for 3 hours, stirring once every hour.
- Add potatoes and finish cooking: Remove from oven, add potatoes, and taste the sauce. Season as needed. Return to oven with lid slightly ajar and cook for another 60 minutes. If sauce needs thickening, cook uncovered for an additional 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Rest and serve: Remove from oven, let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in half the parsley. Serve hot in bowls, garnished with remaining parsley, with crusty bread on the side.
Notes
- Make sure not to overcook the potatoes to prevent them from turning mushy.
- You can prepare this casserole a day in advance, allowing flavors to develop further.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, cook uncovered for the final 30 minutes.
- Using fresh thyme and bay leaves enhances the aroma, but dried herbs can be substituted if fresh are unavailable.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (about 350g)
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 6g
- Sodium: 750mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0.2g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 35g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
