Slow-Cooked Beef & Carrots

📝 Ingredients

• 700 g braising beef (chuck or shoulder)
• 1 kg carrots (about 12)
• 2 brown onions
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp plain wheat flour
• 2 beef stock cubes dissolved in 600 ml hot water
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 10 g fresh parsley
• Salt, black pepper

🍴 Utensils

• Cast-iron casserole dish with lid
• Chopping board
• Knife
• Peeler
• Wooden spoon
• Kitchen paper

📖 Steps

1. Cut the meat into large 5 cm cubes and pat them thoroughly dry with kitchen paper: wet meat boils instead of browning. Season with salt and pepper. Peel the carrots and cut them into thick 1 cm rounds, or they'll fall apart during the long cooking. Slice the onions and crush the garlic.
2. Heat the oil in the casserole over a high heat. Sear the meat in two batches, 2 to 3 minutes per side, until it has a deep brown crust. Don't overcrowd the pot, or the meat will release its water. Set the pieces aside on a plate as you go.
3. Turn the heat down to medium and fry the onions in the casserole for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom with the wooden spoon to lift the browned bits. Add the garlic and tomato purée and stir for 1 minute without letting it burn.
4. Return the meat and its juices, sprinkle with the flour and stir for 1 minute to coat the pieces well: this lightly cooked flour will thicken the sauce without going lumpy.
5. Gradually pour in the stock, stirring and scraping the bottom. Add the carrots, thyme and bay leaf. The liquid should almost cover the meat; top up with a little water if needed, then bring to the boil.
6. Cover, turn the heat down to very low and simmer for 2 hours 30 minutes: you should only see a few small bubbles on the surface. Stir every 30 minutes and add half a glass of hot water if the sauce reduces too quickly.
7. The meat is ready when it pulls apart with a fork with no resistance at all. If the sauce is too thin, remove the lid and let it reduce for 10 minutes over a medium heat. Remove the bay leaf, taste and adjust the seasoning.
8. Scatter with chopped parsley and serve piping hot. Like all slow-cooked dishes, it's even better reheated the next day, over a low heat with a splash of water.