Beef cowboy stew

Cut: Stewing beef, chuck or suitable diced beef | Serves: 4
Prep: 20 minutes | Cook: About 2½–3½ hours
A hearty pot of beef, bacon, potatoes and beans.

INGREDIENTS
- 800g stewing beef or chuck, cubed
- 150g smoked bacon, chopped
- 1 onion; 2 carrots; 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 300g potatoes, cut into chunks
- 1 tin cooked kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 400g chopped tomatoes
- 500ml beef stock, plus extra if needed
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 tsp each smoked paprika, cumin and oregano
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- Salt and black pepper

METHOD
1. Crisp the bacon in a casserole and set aside. Brown the beef in the bacon fat in batches.
2. Lift out the beef. Soften onion, carrots and celery, then add garlic, tomato purée and spices.
3. Add tomatoes, stock and Worcestershire sauce. Return beef and bacon, cover and simmer gently.
4. Cook for about 2½–3½ hours, until the beef is tender. Add the potatoes for the final 45–60 minutes and the cooked beans for the final 20 minutes.
5. Check the potatoes are cooked and everything is steaming hot. Reduce the sauce if needed and season before serving.

KITCHEN TIP
Add potatoes later so they do not break down while the beef becomes tender.