Description
Jamie Oliver’s hearty beef casserole blends rich British culinary tradition with tender meat and robust flavors. Comforting ingredients simmer together, creating a soul-warming dish you’ll crave on chilly evenings.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.76 lb (800 g) lean stewing beef
- 4 carrots
- 2 celery sticks
- 2 garlic cloves
- 4 ripe vine tomatoes
- Shallots
- 0.5 bunch fresh thyme (15 g)
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 2 tbsps plain flour
- 5.07 fl oz (150 ml) red wine
- 16.91 fl oz (500 ml) beef stock
- Olive oil
- Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat oven to 160ºC (325ºF) while cutting beef into uniform cubes and coating with flour for a robust sauce foundation.
- Searing Technique: Heat olive oil in a large casserole pan, browning floured beef pieces to develop a rich caramelized exterior, then set aside.
- Vegetable Foundation: Sauté minced garlic, halved shallots, sliced celery, and carrots with fresh thyme until fragrant and softened, creating an aromatic base.
- Flavor Layering: Return seared beef to the pan, integrating vine tomatoes and introducing red wine, beef stock, bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce for depth and complexity.
- Slow Cooking Transformation: Transfer casserole to preheated oven and allow ingredients to meld and tenderize over 3-4 hours, developing an intensely rich and succulent texture.
- Plating Finale: Gently extract from oven and serve alongside creamy mashed potatoes, presenting a quintessential comfort dish that promises exceptional depth and warmth.
Notes
- Meat Selection: Choose a well-marbled beef cut like chuck or brisket for maximum tenderness and rich flavor development during slow cooking.
- Flour Coating Technique: Ensure beef cubes are completely and evenly coated with flour to create a beautiful golden crust and help thicken the sauce naturally.
- Searing Secrets: Brown meat in batches to maintain pan temperature, creating deep caramelization that enhances overall dish complexity and depth of flavor.
- Cooking Duration: Low and slow is key – 3-4 hours allows collagen to break down, transforming tough meat into meltingly soft, succulent bites that practically dissolve on your tongue.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: UK
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 540
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 50 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg