It’s British Beef Week this week and so we are celebrating with this fantastic recipe for Barbeque Beef Stew with Cheddar Dumplings. It takes a while to cook, but there’s very little prep involved. Chuck steak is a great cut of beef for slow cooking and comes from the shoulder of the animal. Our butchers get their beef from within a 50 mile radius and can prepare any cut you require.

Serves: 5

Cooks in: 3hrs

Ingredients

For the Stew

750g free-range British beef chuck steak, diced

Vegetable oil for frying

2 onions, finely chopped

2 carrots, cut into 1cm pieces

1 fresh rosemary sprig

1 tbsp tomato purée

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 tbsp plain flour

1 litre good quality beef stock, plus a little extra (optional)

3 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp onion powder

1 tbsp garlic powder

2 tbsp sea salt flakes

3 tbsp caster sugar

For the Cheddar dumplings

25g butter, diced

200g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

75g extra mature cheddar, finely grated

100ml milk

1 tsp chopped parsley

Method

Mix the paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and sugar in a bowl, then sprinkle enough over the beef to lightly coat it. Any remaining seasoning can be kept in an airtight container for up to two weeks and can be used to season other meats or as a delicious spice mix for potato wedges.

Heat a good splash of oil in a casserole over a high heat and fry the beef, in batches to brown it. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside.

Add another drizzle of oil to the casserole, add the onions, carrots, garlic and rosemary, then cook over a medium heat, stirring until softened. Season well with salt and pepper.

Add the tomato purée and stir well for 3-4 minutes. Return the beef to the pan, add the flour and stir to coat. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, then put the lid on, reduce the heat and simmer on the lowest possible heat for 2½ hours, uncovering the pan for the final 30 minutes. Check the stew every 20 minutes or so and give it a good stir to stop it from catching.

In the final 30 minutes while the stew is simmering, make the dumplings. Rub the butter into the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt using your fingertips, then mix in the cheese and parsley with a round-bladed knife. Add the milk and stir with the knife to make a dough. Turn the dough out onto your work surface and lightly shape into 8 equal pieces. Put the dumplings on top of the stew and bake it all in the oven for 15-20 mins until golden and cooked through.