Mary Berry’s Best-Ever Beef Stew

The beloved judge of the Great British Baking Show has a new cookbook out called ” Entertaining With Mary Berry”; her 80th book, give or take one or two. The real recipe title is Hot Mustard Spiced Beef, which I didn’t think would generate much interest; and this is really a recipe worth trying. The two unusual ingredients are a bit of curry powder and Worcestershire sauce, which give it an underlying but unrecognizable flavor. The glossy rich sauce full of beef, onions, and carrots is wonderful over egg noodles, and maybe even better the next day. (We sure loved our rainy day, shelter in place lunch!).

1 Tbs. sunflower or canola oil

2 pounds chuck steak, cut into 1 to 1 1/2-inch pieces

2 large onions, chopped

4 ounces button mushrooms, quartered

1/4 cup flour

1 Tbs. muscovado or dark brown sugar

1 Tbs. Dijon mustard

2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. curry powder

2 1/3 cups beef stock, divided

Salt and pepper

1 lb. baby carrots

Parsley, chopped, for serving

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high, heat 1 Tbs. sunflower or canola oil. Working in batches to avoid crowding pan, add 2 lb. chuck steak cut into 1 to 1/2 inch cubes. Cook 4-5 minutes or until golden brown, turning to cook evenly. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a large paper-lined plate. (See my note below)

Add 2 large onions, chopped, and 4 oz. button mushrooms, quartered, to pan; saute 3 minutes or until starting to soften.

In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup flour, 1 Tbs. muscovado or dark brown sugar, 1 Tbs. Dijon mustard, 2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tsp. curry powder and 1/3 cup of beef stock. Whisk until smooth.

Add 2 cups beef stock to pan; bring to a boil. Add about half of hot stock to mustard mixture, whisk until smooth. Pour into pan, whisking 1-2 minutes over high heat or until thickened. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the meat back to the pan. Bring to a boil, cover and transfer to over for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until meat is fork tender.

Meanwhile, cook 1 pound baby carrots in boiling salted water 5-7 minutes or until just tender. Drain and rinse with cold water.

When meat is ready, place pan over medium-high. Bring to a boil. Add carrots, cook 5 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if desired. Serves 6.

Note: I found a Dutch oven perfect for this recipe, and needed to add a bit more oil with later batches of meat. I was surprised Mary asked us to transfer the browned beef to a paper lined plate, which would absorb all the wonderful meaty juices seeping out while it sat. I would skip the paper and add the meat along with its juice back into the pot when called for. I’m sure cooking the carrots separately and adding them to the stew at the end ensures they are perfectly cooked…but since we’re not being judged why not toss them in about halfway through the cooking time in the oven and save a step and a pot? Just saying…