Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 kg stewing beef, cut into big chunks
- Salt
- 3 onions, peeled and sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 250ml red wine
- 1 x 400g tin tomatoes
- 1 tube tomato puree
This serves four to six people. In a large saucepan, with a good fitting lid, heat up the olive oil and brown the beef generously on all sides.
Season with plenty of salt and then add the onions, garlic, and peppercorns and cook out for another five to 10 minutes, until the onions have softened and the mixture has shrunk down in size.
Add the rest of the ingredients and then cover with a lid and cook very gently for approximately two hours, stirring every 20 or 30 minutes.
Check the seasoning after 90 minutes and if you need to add some water, do. But we found that the consistency was good after two hours, although you may want to remove the lid for the last 20-30 minutes of cooking time.
You can also put this in the oven and cook it (with a tight fitting lid) for three to four hours, at 160 degrees/gas 3, until the beef is very tender and you have the desired consistency.
Allow the stew to cool slightly and serve it immediately, or else let it cool down, keep it in the fridge and re-heat the next day. It will taste even better on day two.
