Slow cooked shin beef stew with dumplings

As a mother I try to get my son to eat as much varied food as possible. When it comes to slow cooked meals I tend to put in as many different vegetables in, dish permitting of course! 

This quick and simple recipe will help you create a delicious meal easy to prepare, tender to eat for both parent and child. 

Ingredients for stew:

• 2 celery sticks, thickly sliced
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, halved lengthways then very chunkily sliced
• 3-4 bay leaves 
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 beef stock cubes, crumbled
• 850g diced shin beef (featherblade or brisket works well cut into nice large chunks)

Ingredients for dumplings: (serves 6)

• 250 g self-raising flour

• 125 g butter, really cold

• sea salt

• freshly ground black pepper.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Method for beef stew:

  
  

  If using the oven with a crock pot, Heat to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Put the kettle on. Put the celery, onion, green pepper, carrots, bay and 1 thyme sprig in a pan with 1 tbsp oil and the butter. Soften for 10 mins, then stir in the flour until it browns on the meat, followed by the tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock cubes.

  
  

  Gradually stir in 600ml hot water, then tip in the beef and bring to a gentle simmer. Transfer to your slow cooker or casserole dish. Cover and  put it on low heat for as long as you like unless in the oven cover and cook for 2hr 30 mins then uncover and cook for 30mins – 1hr more until the meat is really tender and the sauce is thickened.

Method for dumplings:

• Put your flour into a mixing bowl 
Using a coarse grater, grate your cold butter into the flour. Add salt and pepper.

Then using your fingers, gently rub your mixture together until they resemble small breadcrumbs. Add some cold water to the dough mixture just to help combine it into a soft dough.

Begin dividing your dough into small pieces and gently roll each into a ball. The dumplings will suck up quite a bit of moisture so if your stew looks low on gravy liquid - add a touch of boiling water and give it another stir.

• Place the dumplings on top of your cooked stew and push them down gently until the are half submerged.

Cook in your slow cooker or crock pot (oven) with the lid on at a medium heat for 30 minutes