If you have time, just slow cook for a few hours. If you have a pressure cooker, this dish can be cooked in half an hour. Saving time and energy is the ideal way of cooking for me. This time, I served it with mashed potatoes, but boiled potatoes, couscous, polenta or nice crusty bread are also good to serve with.

Makes

4 Servings

Ingredients

Casserole Beef 800g *cut into 4 to 5cm pieces
Salt & Pepper
Plain Flour
Olive Oil 2 tablespoons & extra *OR Butter instead
Garlic 1 to 2 cloves
Large Onion 1
Celery Stalk 1
Carrot 1
Red Wine 1 cup
Beef Stock OR Water 1 cup
Canned Tomatoes 1 *400g
Bay Leaf 1
Thyme Leaves 1 to 2 teaspoons
Worcestershire Sauce (Lea & Perrins) 1 tablespoon
Sugar 1 to 2 teaspoons
Salt & Pepper to taste
Parsley *optional

Method
  1. Cut and slice all vegetables finely.
  2. Season the beef pieces with Salt and Pepper, coat with Plain Flour very well.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon Olive Oil in a pot over medium heat. Cook beef, turning over occasionally, until browned. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with 1 tablespoon Oil and remaining beef.
  4. Add extra Oil and cook vegetables for a few minutes, add Red Wine, Beef Stock and Tomatoes and stir.
  5. Return the browned beef to the pot, add Bay Leaf and Thyme, cover with lid and bring it to the boil over high heat.
  6. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes under pressure. If you don’t have a pressure cooker, just simmer over low heat for a few hours or until beef is tender.
  7. Remove the lid, add Worcestershire Sauce. Add Sugar if required, then season with Salt and Pepper to taste. Simmer further 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickened.
  8. Serve with mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes, couscous, polenta or nice crusty bread.