There’s something comforting about coming home to a warm slow-cooked meal, especially one that makes the most of cheaper cuts of meat. This hearty beef stew slow cooker recipe from Adam Liaw delivers maximum flavour with minimal effort. Paired with golden parmesan toast, it’s the kind of dish that makes everyday dinners feel special, without costing a fortune.
"For beef, cuts like brisket, gravy beef and chuck are always going to be cheaper than something like Scotch fillet. And if you’re stewing or slow-cooking, those cuts actually taste better." - Adam Liaw
Slow cooker beef stew with parmesan toast
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 7 hours
Serves: 6
Ingredients
1.5kg beef chuck
Salt and pepper, to season
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 5cm lengths
2 brown onions, cut into chunks
3 cloves garlic, bruised
3 potatoes, cut into large chunks
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 tbsp instant gravy powder
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp finely shredded parsley
PARMESAN TOAST
6 thick slices sourdough
Softened butter
1 cup grated parmesan or ½ cup boxed parmesan
Method
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and add the oil. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then brown it well and remove from the dish. Cut the beef into five-centimetre pieces and add to the slow cooker.
Add the carrot, onion, garlic potatoes, bay leaves, tomato paste, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and mix well. Add enough water to just barely cover the beef. Slow-cook on low for seven hours or if you’re not using a slow cooker, you can simmer in a pot for two hours.
Mix the gravy powder with about ⅓ cup of water until thick. Stir through the stew and cook for another 30 minutes until thickened. Stir in the red wine vinegar and garnish with parsley.
When you’re ready to serve, make the parmesan toast. Butter the sourdough on one side and scatter generously with the parmesan. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and fry the bread parmesan-side down until the cheese is golden brown. Serve the parmesan toast with the stew.
