Main Meals

Easy beef stew

6
Easy
10 minutes
45–60 minutes

This is the simplest stew recipe and can be applied to almost any protein. It works well with affordable stewing beef. This one will carry you through the freezing winter months!

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Ingredients

Method
  • 4 T canola oil
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 kg stewing beef, cut into bite-sized chunks
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 1 carrot, cubed
  • 1 stick celery, roughly chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 3 T tomato paste
  • 2 T steak rub
  • 1 t paprika
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • cooked basmati rice, for serving

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Season the beef and brown in batches. Set aside.

2. In the same pan, sauté the onion, carrots and celery for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
3. Return the meat to the pan.

4. Stir in the garlic, tomato paste, steak rub and paprika. Add the herbs and cover with 4 cups water. Stir, cover and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 40–45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1–2 additional cups of water if necessary. Add the potatoes and remove the lid and simmer for 20 minutes, allowing the sauce to reduce a bit and the potatoes to soften.

5. Stir once more, check the seasoning and serve hot with the cooked rice.

Find more stew recipes here. 

Photograph: Jan Ras
Food assistant: Ellah Maepa

Khanya Mzongwana

Recipe by: Khanya Mzongwana

If you're anything like our deputy food editor Khanya Mzongwana, you're obsessed with uniqueness and food with feeling. Cook her family-tested favourites, midweek winners and her mouth-wateringly fresh takes on plant-based eating.

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Comments

  • default
    Barbara Shaw
    31 May 2022

    Beef stew is delicious!

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