Slow cooked Beef, Chilli and Ginger Stew

Seeing as the weather is still positively chilly, I thought I had better continue with the theme of slow cooker recipes.

I am always experimenting with new casserole recipes. There is nothing quite like a wet and warming stew in the winter months and this is a real favourite in my house. It is something I can rustle up quickly with ingredients I tend to have at home anyway. It takes less than 20 mins to prepare. You can then leave in the slow cooker to cook itself for a few hours in the afternoon.

The combination of ginger, chilli and plenty of coriander makes this stew fragrant and spicy. Yet the beef is meltingly tender and delicious. It is perfect served with rice and steamed green veg and it feels slightly more healthy than a more traditional stew served with mash.

I am useless at photography, so the photos don't do this stew justice. Please give it a try. It is foolproof, minimum effort and so tasty.

To serve 2:

300-400g of diced casserole/braising beef steak.

2 medium onions chopped

fresh ginger (tip * I always buy frozen and it has just the flavour in my opinion)

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1 red chilli (use more or less depending on your chilli tolerance!)

Plenty of fresh coriander (again I buy frozen - such a cheat, but it is cost effective and saves waste)

A dash of light soy sauce

1 pint of beef stock

1 tsp chinese 5 spice

I dessert spoon of plain flour

salt and pepper

Method:

Add a good glug of olive oil to your casserole dish and heat.

Place the beef in a shallow bowl. Add the flour, a good sprinkle of salt and pepper and the 5 spice. Ensure the beef is evenly coated in the seasoning. You can do this in a sandwich bag if you prefer.

By now, the oil should be sizzling hot. Slowly add the beef pieces to the dish to brown, turning frequently. You want to cook for only a few minutes until nicely browned. Remove the meat and place in a clean bowl.

Now add your chopped onions, garlic, ginger and chilli to the same casserole dish. Add a little extra oil if needed. Stir until the onions translucent and beginning to caramelise.

Return the beef to the casserole dish, add a dash of light soy sauce. Slowly add the beef stock, letting the liquid thicken slowly. Bring to the boil, then simmer to reduce.

Then season well. Add a good sprinkling of chopped coriander (saving some for later) and add the casserole dish to your preheated oven. Cook on low 140 degrees C. Or transfer to your slow cooker.

This needs a good 4 hours to cook. Stirring occasionally. 

Serve with plenty of chopped coriander. I find rice and plenty of steamed green veg go well with this dish.

Enjoy!

Just to say, as this dish is slow cooked. I am sending it to March's slow cooked challenge. Which is a

blogging event hosted by Lucy from Baking Queen 74. If you haven't checked out her food blog. I highly recommend. Especially if you like slow cooked recipes. You can find a link to her blog here:

http://bakingqueen74.co.uk

She jointly hosts the event with Janice from Farmersgirl Kitchen. Another fab and inspiring blog. A link to her site is here: http://farmersgirl.blogspot.com