Beef stew with potatoes

Ingredients

• 500 g Beef for stewing (shin recommended) (Cut into cubes; the author prefers shin because it becomes tender and juicy.)
• 1 Onion (Large.)
• 2 Garlic (Cloves.)
• 450 g Potatoes (The description indicates between 400 and 450 g; cut into small pieces. Added in batches.)
• 70 g Brandy or wine (Can be replaced with white, red, or sweet wine.)
• 70 g Frozen peas (Added at the end together with the remaining potatoes.)
• 200 g Carrots (Cut into thick slices and added in two batches.)
• 40 g Crushed tomatoes (The author also mentions fresh tomatoes or fried tomato sauce as options.)
• 50 g Extra-virgin olive oil
• Flour or cornstarch (A little; mixed with the meat to help thicken the sauce. If wheat flour is used, it contains gluten; cornstarch is an alternative.)
• 350 g Water or stock (The description suggests beef, chicken, or vegetable stock as an alternative. Reserve a splash to blend the sofrito and add the rest to the stew.)
• Salt (To taste; adjust after the first cooking stage. If using salted stock, adjust carefully.)
• Pepper (To taste.)

Steps

1. 1

   Pour the olive oil into the cooking robot bowl and heat it without the measuring cup using the sauté function at 120 °C for 10 minutes. While it heats, season the meat with salt and pepper and sprinkle it with a little flour or cornstarch; mix to coat it lightly, without needing to coat it completely.

2. 2

   When the oil is hot—the author starts adding the meat when about 6 minutes remain on the program—add the beef through the opening. Let it sauté for the remaining time and, if it still looks reddish, cook for 5 more minutes at 120 °C, without the measuring cup.

3. 3

   Remove the meat and set it aside on a plate. Leave the oil and any fat released by the meat in the bowl.

4. 4

   Add the large onion and the two garlic cloves to the bowl. Chop for 5 seconds at speed 6; chop a little longer if desired. Scrape down the sides and, if necessary, add a small amount of additional oil.

5. 5

   Without the measuring cup, sauté the onion and garlic for 10 minutes at 120 °C.

6. 6

   Add the crushed tomatoes and sauté for 4 minutes at 120 °C.

7. 7

   Scrape down anything remaining on the sides. If you prefer a smooth sauce, add a splash of the reserved water and blend for 15 seconds at speed 8; omit this step if you want to retain the texture.

8. 8

   Return the reserved meat to the bowl along with the juices from the plate. Add the brandy or wine, half of the carrots, and the water or stock. Add a little salt; if the stock is already salted, take this into account. Reserve the other half of the carrots and the potatoes to add later.

9. 9

   Cook for 35 minutes at 100 °C, speed 1, reverse rotation, on the normal setting. The meat may not yet be tender at the end of this first stage.

10. 10

    Add the other half of the carrots. Add approximately one-quarter of the potatoes, about 100 g, cut into small pieces; the author adds them so they soften and help give body to the sauce.

11. 11

    Cover without the measuring cup and place the basket or a splatter guard on top. Cook using the sauté function at 100 °C for 14 minutes.

12. 12

    Taste the sauce and adjust the salt if necessary. Add the remaining potatoes, roughly cut or torn into pieces, and the peas; if frozen, they can be added already thawed during preparation.

13. 13

    Cover again without the measuring cup and place the basket or splatter guard on top. Cook using the sauté function at 100 °C for 14 minutes. If the sauce is too thin, the author indicates that the temperature can be raised to 120 °C to encourage evaporation.

14. 14

    Check that the meat is tender and that the potatoes are cooked. If the potatoes are still firm, continue using the sauté function without the measuring cup, with the basket or splatter guard on top, in additional batches; the author ended up cooking them for 10 more minutes at 100 °C. Allow the meat to cook thoroughly and adjust the time as needed.

15. 15

    Serve the stew. For a more flavorful result, the author recommends letting it rest until the next day; it will absorb some of the stock. If you prefer a brothier stew, add a little more water or stock.

Notes

The recipe is intended for cooking robots with sauté and reverse-rotation functions. Cooking time may vary depending on the potatoes; the author mentions that in her preparation she needed nearly 25 minutes to cook them during the final stage. To freeze the stew, omit the potatoes. The description indicates 400–450 g of potatoes, while the video narration mentions 400 g.

Nutrition per serving

• stew
• main course
• beef
• slow cooking
• cooking robot
• with potatoes
• gluten-free if using cornstarch
• make-ahead