Slow-cooked Beef Stew and Dumplings (Dutch Oven)

Close-up of a pot of beef and dumpling stew.

5 from 4 votes

Slow-cooked Beef Stew and Dumplings (Dutch Oven)

Slow-cooked beef stew and dumplings is pure comfort on a cold winters night. Easy to prepare and slow-cooked in a Dutch oven until the meat is tender, it's a crowd-pleasing meal to serve up. This version has some special ingredients to make it a little more exciting than most stews.

Prep Time30

Cook Time3 45

Total Time4 15

Course: Main Course, Supper

Cuisine: British, World

Servings:

Calories: 907kcal

Author: Jane Coupland

Ingredients

3 tablespoon Olive oil
600 g Stewing steak (chuck steak)
1 Large white onion
2 Celery stalks
2 Rashers streaky bacon
1 Garlic clove
1 ½ tablespoon Plain (all-purpose) flour
60 ml Red wine
12 Baby onions/ shallots
4 Allspice berries
2 Bay leaves
¼ teaspoon Ground black pepper
60 g Pickled walnuts optional
500 ml Beef stock
200 g Chestnut mushrooms
400 g Carrots
250 g Baby potatoes
250g Jerusalem artichokes
10 g Fresh thyme

For the Stilton Dumplings

120 g Plain (all-purpose) flour
½ teaspoon Baking powder
50 g Beef suet
30 g Blue Stilton cheese (or other strong blue cheese) - optional
4-5 tablespoons Whole (full-fat) milk
¼ teaspoon Salt

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Make the hearty Beef Stew

Preheat oven to 160C/ 320F/ GM 2 ½
Chop the beef into 1-1.5 inch cubes if necessary, and season
Heat a large casserole pan and add ½ the oil then fry ½ of the beef, turning frequently until the meat is browned all over. Remove from the pan and fry the remaining meat in the same way. Set all meat aside
Finely dice the large onion and celery sticks and add to the pan along with the remaining oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Crush the garlic clove and chop the bacon then add to the pan and continue to cook until the vegetables are soft
Split the allspice berries open using a pestle and mortar or the end of a rolling pin. Sprinkle into the pan with the bay leaves and black pepper
Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minutes, then deglaze the pan with the red wine. Allow the liquid to evaporate
Peel the baby onions and wipe the chestnut mushrooms. If the mushrooms are large chop in half. Place in the pan and then return the browned meat to the pan. Dice the pickled walnuts and scatter into the pan with a few sprigs of fresh thyme
Pour the stock over everything, give a good stir, cover and cook for 2½ hours, stirring midway through
Just before the cooking time is up, peel and chop the carrots and Jerusalem artichoke into thick pieces. Add to the pan with the potatoes and cook for a further 45 minutes
Make the dumplings when there is 10 minutes cooking time left: Put the flour, baking powder, salt and suet into a small mixing bowl. Strip approx 1 tablespoon thyme leaves from their stems and crumble the cheese. Add both to the bowl and stir then add just enough milk to form a soft but not sticky dough. Using floured handles roll into 8 equal-sized balls
Top the stew with the dumplings, cover and cook for a further 20-30 minutes – removing the lid for the last 10 minutes for a crisper finish to the dumplings if preferred
Check and adjust seasoning as necessary, then serve straight away with a sprig of thyme to garnish

Video

Notes

Pick your meat wisely. A slow-cooked stew needs beef with some fat and connective tissue, so avoid the pricier lean cuts and plump for the tougher cuts of meat
Browning the meat is the first step in building up a rich & deep flavour profile in your stew. Heat the pan to very hot before adding the beef and turn the meat frequently to allow it to brown on all sides
Always brown your meat quickly and in small batches. Don't be tempted to add all the meat in one go. Overcrowding the pan with meat means that the heat is reduced and more moisture is released from the meat than can be evaporated quickly. The result is a layer of steam which prevents browning
Don't rush it. Recipes vary, but stews can take between 3-4 hours to cook on a low heat. It's this slow cooking that helps tenderise the meat
Add a little more stock to the pan if necessary. Stews need a rich, thick gravy, so don't be afraid to top up if too much liquid evaporates during cooking
Add the vegetables partway through the cooking process to avoid them turning mushy. Chop root vegetables chunky and go for 1- 1 ½ hours in the oven. Smaller vegetables such as peas will only need a few minutes at the end of the cooking time
At the point of serving, add a pop of colour using fresh herbs - it livens up the presentation no end

How to Cook in a Slow Cooker

First of all brown the beef on a frying pan to seal it and preheat the slow cooker to high
Put the diced onion, diced celery, garlic, bacon, allspice, bay leaf, black pepper and flour into the bowl of your slow cooker. Give everything a good stir. Add ½ the beef stock, red wine and beef then let cook for 2 ½ hours (or on low for 3 ½ hours)
Add the potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, Jerusalem artichokes and pickled walnuts and continue to cook for a further 2 ½ hours (or 3 ½ hours on low) or until the beef and potatoes are tender. (These ingredients can be added at the start but they will be much softer and mushier as a result). Top up with more beef stock as necessary
After 5hrs (7 hours on low) of cooking, make the dumplings. Put the flour, baking powder, salt and suet into a small mixing bowl. Strip approx 1 tablespoon thyme leaves from their stems and crumble the cheese. Add both to the bowl and stir then add just enough milk to form a soft but not sticky dough. Using floured handles roll into 8 equal-sized balls
Place the dumplings on top of the stew then cook, with the lid on for 1hr more on high. Check the seasoning and serve.

Storing and Freezing Instructions

Any leftovers can be stored in the fridge and reheated gently within a few days, although dumplings are always best eaten fresh.

I personally do not recommend freezing this stew since the texture of the dumplings and the potatoes changes significantly afterwards and not in a good way.

If you do decide to freeze and eat at a later date, perhaps pick out the potatoes and dumplings beforehand. Defrost fully at room temperature and then reheat gently. Serve alongside some freshly boiled potatoes, or better still, some creamy mashed potato. Fresh dumplings can also be made and cooked as before.

Nutrition