Slow-Simmered Beef, Potato and Carrot Stew

Ingredients

• 800 g boneless beef chuck, cut into 3 cm cubes
• 600 g potatoes, peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
• 350 g carrots, cut into thick chunks
• 200 g onion, finely chopped
• 15 g garlic, minced
• 30 g plain flour
• 25 g neutral oil
• 25 g tomato paste
• 850 ml beef stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 6 g fine salt, divided
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Let’s make it

1. Pat the beef dry, season with 3 g salt and the pepper, and toss with the flour. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in two batches for about 12 minutes total and transfer to a bowl.
2. Lower the heat to medium, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute, then slowly add the stock, scraping the browned bits off the base.
3. Return the beef and its juices to the pot with the bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook on low for 90 minutes, stirring every 25–30 minutes.
4. Add the potatoes, carrots and remaining 3 g salt. Cover and simmer for 35–45 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the beef yields easily to a fork. The beef must have reached at least 145°F / 63°C; the long braise continues well beyond that point.
5. If the beef is still firm, continue simmering and checking every 15 minutes; tougher cuts can require extra time. Remove the lid for the final 10 minutes to thicken the gravy, adding small splashes of water only if it becomes too dry.
6. Remove the bay leaf. Rest the stew off the heat for 5 minutes, then spoon the large beef and vegetable pieces into bowls with the brown gravy.