Beef stew is one of the cosiest dinners you can make in autumn when the nights are getting colder, but it can often turn out disappointingly bland if you do not season the gravy properly. Many people just toss their beef and vegetables into a pot, but you need quite a lot of water to make stew which can quickly dilute the natural flavours of the other ingredients. It is quite common to add a lots of spices to the gravy to try to combat this, but it is easy to overdo and make it overpowering, so you need to know the right seasonings to use.
Rachel Farnsworth from The Stay at Home Chef has shared the key to making the best-tasting beef stew that is “pure comfort in a bowl” are three ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen. She said: “A flavour combo that is magic: Allspice, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce add deep flavour you won’t find in the usual stew.”
Why are these three ingredients important for making beef stew?
All three of these ingredients may seem simple, but when used together, they are one of the best combinations for making beef stew more flavourful and rich without being overbearing.
Allspice contains a lot of autumn flavours like cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg which add a warming and rich taste to the gravy so it has more depth.
Worcestershire sauce has a fermented, tangy taste that combines both sweet and acidic ingredients that helps cut through the heaviness of the gravy. This helps enhance the beef, so you will get a more savoury and meaty gravy that will be really satisfying to eat.
Paprika has a mild, spicy, and smoky flavour that adds some sweetness, rounds out the gravy, and deepens its colour to make it more appealing.
Two tablespoons of olive oil
Four tablespoons of cornflour
Two cloves of garlic (minced)
Two tablespoons of tomato purée
60ml of Worcestershire sauce
680g of red potatoes (cut into bite-sized chunks)
Four medium celery sticks (sliced)
Half a teaspoon of dried basil
Half a teaspoon of dried oregano
Half a teaspoon of dried parsley
Half a teaspoon of paprika
One-quarter teaspoon of allspice
1. Place the beef into a bowl, then add the cornflour with one teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of black pepper. Make sure the beef is fully coated in the cornflour mixture.
2. Add the olive oil to a large pot and place on medium-high heat. Place the seasoned beef in the pot, cook for five minutes until browned, then add the tomato puree and garlic cloves.
3. Cook for two minutes until the garlic has softened, then add the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce. Next, add the potatoes, pearl onions, carrots and celery.
4. Season the stew with the sugar, basil, oregano, parsley and paprika. Bring the stew to a boil, cover the pot with a lid, and then lower the heat to a simmer.
5. Let the beef stew cook on low heat for one and a half to two hours, making sure to check it occasionally and stir. Once the beef is tender, add the cornflour and let it cook for a few more minutes until the gravy thickens up. Finish with a little extra salt and pepper to taste, then serve up your delicious, rich and flavourful beef stew.
