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.