Spend some time to creating this braised mushroom and beef stew on a free weekend and sit back, relax and reheat whenever you’ve had a long day at work.
Ingredients
- 1½ kg gravy beef, trimmed, diced
- ¼ cup seasoned flour
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 500 g Swiss brown mushrooms
- 250 g streaky bacon, sliced
- 2 leeks, sliced
- 8 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1½ cups red wine
- 400 g can diced tomatoes
- 1½ cups beef stock
- 3 sprigs rosemary
- ½ cup chopped parsley, plus extra to serve
- Soft polenta, to serve
Steps
Toss beef in flour, shaking off excess. In a large flameproof casserole dish, brown beef in half oil 4-5 mins. Remove.
In the same pan, heat remaining oil on low. Saute mushrooms, bacon, leeks and garlic 8-10 mins. Add paprika and cook 1 min, stirring. Add wine to pain to deglaze.
Return beef to pan with tomatoes, stock and rosemary. Simmer, covered, 3 hours.
Discard rosemary stalks. Season. Stir parsley through. Serve half on polenta with extra parsley. Cool remaining and freeze (see tip).
Top Tip: Cool stew (without polenta) in fridge, then freeze for up to 2 months. Defrost in fridge overnight, bring to boil on stovetop on high. Simmer 15 mins until heated through.
Photo: Bauersyndication.com.au/Rob Shaw