A classic beef stew recipe is something every home cook should have up their sleeves.

Cooked in a stew, you get the most incredibly soft and tender beef that simply melts in the mouth.

For those who don’t already have a go-to stew recipe, why not give this a try? For this dish, I took inspiration from Sarah Rossi, the woman behind the incredible food blog Taming Twins, and it couldn’t have turned out better.

The stew is packed with flavour, chunky vegetables, rich gravy and just overflowing with goodness.

I tend to cook my stews in a slow cooker as I find that easiest, but this recipe can be cooked in the oven at 160C for about two to three hours.

Ingredients (serves four)

670g beef cubes, suitable for slow cooking

Three tablespoons of plain flour

One and a half tablespoons of vegetable oil

One onion

400ml beef stock

Two carrots, peeled and chopped

Two celery sticks, chopped

400g potatoes, peeled and chopped

One and a half beef stock cubes, no need to dissolve

Two tablespoons of tomato puree

Two tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

A sprinkling of Italian herb blend, to serve (optional)

Method 

After measuring and prepping the ingredients I started by coating the beef cubes in two tablespoons of plain flour, ensuring all of the meat was covered.

I then heated the oil in a pan and fried the beef until the outside was browned and golden - I did this in batches as I didn’t want to overcrowd the pan. This step could also be done in your slow cooker pan if it’s the type you can use on the hob.

With the meat browned, I added all of the other ingredients to the slow cooker, apart from the flour, along with the beef and gave it a stir.

Next, all I had to do was put the lid on and cook the ingredients in the slow cooker for six hours on high. For those who prep this early enough, they can leave it on low for eight to nine hours.

The timing will of course vary slightly depending on the size of the cubes of meat and vegetables but don't worry as it's difficult to overcook this.

Half an hour before the time was up, I added the remainder of the flour and stirred it in - this was to help thicken the stew to get that lovely thick gravy.

Salt and pepper can be added once the stew is cooked, however, I didn’t feel it needed any as the stock provided great flavour.

Serving up the stew, I topped it with an Italian herb mix and served it with some fresh crusty bread.