Beef stew in red wine sauce | Good Food

Beef in red wine with melting onions

25g butter
2 large onions
sliced into rings
6 garlic cloves
halved
3 tbsp plain flour
600g piece beef
skirt or slices of shin, cut into large chunks
2 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
3 bay leaves
400ml red wine
1 tbsp tomato purée
300ml strong beef stock
250g mushrooms
halved (we used small Portobello mushrooms)
chopped parsley
to serve (optional)

Method

step 1
Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. In a large, heavy-based flameproof casserole dish with a lid, melt the butter over a medium heat. Add the onions and garlic, cook for 10 mins until starting to brown, then transfer to a small plate.
step 2
Put the flour in a large plastic food bag with plenty of black pepper. Add half the beef, shake to coat, then remove, leaving some flour in the bag. Add the rest of the beef and shake to coat in the remaining flour.
step 3
Heat the oil in the same casserole dish you cooked the onions in (there’s no need to clean it first). Add the beef and bay leaves, and fry until the meat is browned all over. Pour in the wine and return the onions to the dish. Add the tomato purée and stock, stir and return to a simmer. Cover with the lid and put in the oven to stew for 1 hr.
step 4
After 1 hr, add the mushrooms and return to the oven for another hour. Taste the meat – if it’s tender, remove from the oven. If it’s still a little firm, cook for 30 mins more and test again. Serve scattered with parsley, if you like.