Paprika and Thyme Beef Stew

I miss my stews and I miss my beer. So I just had to try this recipe after stumbling upon it at The Pioneer Woman, I decided to make it for my work lunches for the next few days. Oh, the goodness of melt in your mouth beef and that thick and deep flavour in the sauce. 

Originally from: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/01/beef-stew-with-beer-and-paprika/

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Canola Oil

400g beef stew meat (I used chuck)

1 whole Medium Onion, Diced

2 cloves Garlic, Minced

1/2 can Beer

500ml cups Water + 1 Beef cubes

1-2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce 

1-2 tbsp Tomato Sauce

1/2 teaspoon Paprika (or less, depending on your tastebud)

Dash of thyme (about 1/8 of a tsp)

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Sugar

1 whole Carrot, roughly sliced

2 whole White Potatoes, quartered (smaller if potato is big)

Method

1. Cut beef into bite size. Pat dry with kitchen towel and toss in about 1 tbsp of flour so that the beef gets a light dusty coat.

2. Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Brown meat in two batches, setting aside on a plate when brown. Set aside.

3. Add diced onions to the pot. Stir and cook for two or three minutes until softened, then add garlic for another minute. Pour in beef-cube-water, then add Worcestershire, tomato paste, paprika (add half if you are not sure of the taste), thyme, salt, pepper, and sugar. Add beef back into the pot. Stir to combine. 

4. Once water boils, bring to a low simmer. At this point, taste and adjust taste by playing with the seasoning. 

5. Transfer to slow cooker and cook on high for about 2 hours. Leave cover open after it reaches a low bubbling simmer so that water will reduce. 

6. Add carrots and potatoes after 2 hours, then cover and cook for an additional hour. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

7. Skim off the thick layer of oil that comes from the meat before serving. 

Note: Depending on the meat you bought and the size you cut it, the time it takes to stew it differs. I bought the chuck meat which cooked fairly easily but tends to be oily. The timing above is based on the chuck meat I bought. Do adjust timing if you managed to get proper stew meat or the tougher cuts. This can be done stove top too. See original recipe at The Pioneer Woman for stove top timing. 

Simple Beef Stew

Finally bought my thermal induction pot after hearing so much about it from my colleagues. The first thing I tried to make was a beef stew for lunch the next day and it turned out perfectly! Pity I forgot to take a picture of the stew before I gobbled it down, slurping up all the soup as well.

Here's the recipe. Credits to my fiance for sharing.

Ingredient List (Serves 2)
500 g of beef (Preferred cuts: the chuck)
2 yellow onion
2 capsicum (optional)
1 carrot
2 tomatoes (or 3 small ones)
Ginger
3 tsp of cider vinegar or lemon juice
(Option: Add potatoes too if you want a one pot meal)

Preparation:
1. Cut the beef into bite size cubes. Toss the beef in vinegar or lemon juice until well-coated. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes to soften.
2. Quarter the onions lengthwise (Think wedges)
3. Cut capsicum and carrots into bite size. For those with a lot of seeds, remove half of the seeds
4. Quarter the tomatoes like the onions.
5. Cut 3 slices of ginger. Squash them a little.

Cooking:
1. Saute the onions until a little translucent and starting to soften.
2. Add tomatoes. When tomatoes start to "sweat" (release juices), add in the beef. When beef turns colour, add in the capsicum and the ginger. Add water if it's too dry. The liquid level should be about 1/2 to the level of food. Cover and let the liquid boil.
3. Once boiling, reduce fire to a simmer and let the stew simmer for at least another 30 minutes. (Longer for tougher or bigger cuts of meat).
4. Those with a slow cooker or thermal induction pot can transfer the boiling pot to these. Length of time depends on your cooker. Ideally, the thermal pot should be left to cook for at least another 6 hours for a really juicy stew.
5. For those wanting to include potatoes, quarter the potatoes and then cut them into bite size and throw them in when the water is boiling and let the stew boil for about 5 minutes with the lid on first before reducing to a simmer to ensure that potatoes are cooked through.

There you go. A simple, satisfying one pot meal. The stew is so sweet from the juices of the beef and vegetables that there is no need for seasoning!