The transformation that takes place when a cheap cut of beef, cooked long and slow, becomes rich and melt-in-the-mouth delicious is a little like alchemy. Here I cook onion and red pepper long and slow to create a lovely sweet base before adding in orange and black olives. I prefer not to add flour to my stews, though if this is your preference then sprinkle half a cup of flour over the cubed beef before browning. Wonderful served with sourdough bread, butter and some seasonal green vegetables.

Recipes, styling & photos Emma Boyd

Serves 6, Prep Time 20 minutes, Cook Time 8 hours in the slow cooker

 

 

4 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, cut into thin wedges

2 King Sweetie red peppers (or use regular red peppers), finely diced

5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1.2 kg chuck steak cut into 3–4 cm cubes

20 black olives, stones removed, halved

zest + juice of 1 orange

2 bay leaves

handful thyme

2 tsp smoked paprika

500 g baby potatoes, quartered

1 cup red wine (Cab Sav or Merlot works best)

3 cups beef stock

parsley to garnish

 

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once hot add in the onion and fry, stirring continuously for 10 minutes before adding in the red peppers and the garlic. Continue to cook for another 10 minutes then transfer this mixture to a slow cooker.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan (add extra if required) and fry the beef in batches until browned on all sides, then add this to the slow cooker along with the onion mixture.

Add the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker, set to low, then cook for 8 hours until the meat is tender and almost falling apart. Tip the cooking liquid into a large pot, bring to the boil, then reduce and simmer for 30 minutes until it has reduced in volume by half. Add the meat and vege back in then continue to cook until the meat is hot, then serve in deep bowls sprinkled with parsley.