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British classic

Beef Stew and Herb Dumplings

Slow-cooked beef, root vegetables and ale gravy under light suet dumplings, with the meat browned in batches for a properly savoury base.

MainBritish classicSlow-cookedFreezer-friendly without dumplingsDinnerHigh protein
Total time3 hours 15 minutes
DifficultyConfident
Community ratingNew recipe
Per serving49.7g protein
Representative photograph for Beef Stew and Herb Dumplings
OK
Structure checkedAdaptive recipe data
Serves
6

Scaled live

Ingredients

6 people

Stew

  • 1.2 kgbraising steak, trimmed and cut into 4cm pieces
  • 1 1/2 tspfine salt
  • 1/2 tspblack pepper
  • 3 tbspplain flour
  • 2 tbspvegetable oil
  • 2onions, cut into wedges
  • 3carrots, cut into thick pieces
  • 2celery sticks, sliced
  • 3garlic cloves, crushed
  • 2 tbsptomato puree
  • 330 mlbrown ale or extra beef stock
  • 500 mlbeef stock
  • 1 tbspWorcestershire sauce
  • 2bay leaves
  • 4thyme sprigs

Dumplings

  • 200 gself-raising flour
  • 100 gshredded beef or vegetable suet
  • 1/2 tspfine salt
  • 1 tbspchopped parsley
  • 1 tspthyme leaves
  • 120–140 mlcold water

Per serving

637 kcal49.7g protein41g carbs31g fat

Nutrition calculated from 21 of 21 ingredients

Approximately 730 kcal, 44g protein, 62g carbohydrate, 31g fat and 8g fibre per serving.

Clear and checked

Method

  1. 01

    Heat the oven to 150°C fan

    3 min

    Heat the oven to 150°C fan. Season the beef with salt and pepper, then toss with 2 tbsp of the flour. Heat half the oil in the casserole and brown the beef in four batches over high heat. Transfer to a plate.

  2. 02

    Lower the heat to medium

    9 min

    Lower the heat to medium. Add the remaining oil, onions, carrots and celery. Cook for 8-10 minutes until beginning to colour. Add the garlic for 1 minute and tomato puree for 2 minutes.

  3. 03

    Stir in the remaining 1 tbsp flour

    3 min

    Stir in the remaining 1 tbsp flour. Pour in the ale gradually, scraping the casserole, and bubble for 3 minutes. Add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, bay and thyme, then return the beef and juices.

  4. 04

    Bring just to a simmer

    120 min

    Bring just to a simmer, cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours. Stir once halfway through. The beef should be nearly tender and the sauce lightly thickened.

  5. 05

    For the dumplings

    3 min

    For the dumplings, mix the self-raising flour, suet, salt and herbs. Add 120ml water and mix lightly; add only enough extra water to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Divide into 12 balls without compressing them.

  6. 06

    Remove the casserole

    3 min

    Remove the casserole from the oven and increase the temperature to 180°C fan. Taste the stew and adjust seasoning. If it is very thick, add 100ml water; if thin, leave the lid off for the final cooking.

  7. 07

    Sit the dumplings

    18 min

    Sit the dumplings on the surface with space between them. Cover and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover and bake for 15-20 minutes until risen, lightly browned and cooked through.

  8. 08

    Remove the bay and thyme stalks

    10 min

    Remove the bay and thyme stalks. Rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Equipment check

5 items required

  • Large flameproof lidded casserole
  • Chopping board and knife
  • Mixing bowl
  • Wooden spoon
  • Baking tray or plate for browned beef

Dietary and allergen note: Contains gluten, celery and possibly dairy depending on the suet. Check ale and stock for allergens.

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Recipe diagnostics

Checked before you cook.

Structurally checked

Metric quantities and serving yield are explicit

Method includes timing and doneness cues

Nutrition is identified as a calculated estimate

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