Beef & Stout Stew With Carrots (OMAC)

Recipe from Good Food magazine, November 2009 Sweet, slow-cooked melty carrots and beautifully tender meat, this dish is comfort in a pot. Freezing instructions - at the end of step 2 the stew can now be chilled and frozen for up to 3 months – defrost completely before reheating until piping hot.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons  vegetable oil
• 1  kg stewing beef, cut into large chunks
• 1  onion, roughly chopped
• 4  carrots, cut into large chunks
• 2  tablespoons plain flour
• 500  ml  Guinness stout
• 1  beef stock cube
• 1  pinch sugar
• 3  bay leaves
• 1  thyme, sprig

Directions

1. 1.Heat oven to 350f/160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat the oil in large lidded casserole dish, brown the meat really well in batches, then set aside. Add the onion and carrots to the dish, give them a good browning, then scatter over the flour and stir. Tip the meat and any juices back into the dish and give it all a good stir. Pour over the Guinness and crumble in the stock cube. Season the stew with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar. Tuck in the herbs and bring everything to a simmer.
2. 2.Cover with a lid and place in the oven for about 2½ hrs until the meat is really tender. Serve with mashed potatoes and vegetables.