Slow Cooker Beef Stew: Ultimate Comfort Food

Name: Beef Stew Slow Cooker/Crock-Pot: The Ultimate Comfort Food
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 h
Total time: 5 h 20 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 600 g stewing beef or lean roasting joint, cut into large chunks; 2 tbsp olive oil; 200 g swede (swede), peeled and cut into chunks; 1 medium white onion, peeled and chopped; 1 medium leek, trimmed and sliced; 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped; 400 g baby potatoes, skins on, halved if large; 500 ml beef stock, hot for 3 hour cook, cold for 5 hour cook; 150 ml red wine; 1 heaped tbsp tomato paste; 2 leaves bay leaves; fresh or dried thyme; salt; black pepper; 2 heaped tsp cornflour (cornstarch), dissolved in 20ml cold water

Source video by John Kirkwood on YouTube. This recipe was adapted with strict source-fidelity rules and is marked for human review.

John Kirkwood's slow cooker beef stew is a hearty winter warmer built around chunks of beef, swede, leeks, carrots, onion and baby potatoes in a rich beef and red wine gravy. The meat is browned first for depth of flavour, then simmered low and slow until meltingly tender. The gravy is thickened with cornflour at the end rather than flouring the meat, which suits slow cooker cooking. Timed for roughly 3 hours from hot stock or 5 hours from cold, it's a flexible family meal you can leave to look after itself.

Slow cooker notes: Source is already a slow cooker recipe, no adaptation required.

Ingredients

Main

600 gstewing beef or lean roasting joint, cut into large chunks
2 tbspolive oil

Vegetables

200 gswede (swede), peeled and cut into chunks
1 mediumwhite onion, peeled and chopped
1 mediumleek, trimmed and sliced
2 mediumcarrots, peeled and chopped
400 gbaby potatoes, skins on, halved if large

Liquids and seasoning

500 mlbeef stock, hot for 3 hour cook, cold for 5 hour cook
150 mlred wine
1 heaped tbsptomato paste
2 leavesbay leaves
fresh or dried thyme
salt
black pepper

To thicken

2 heaped tspcornflour (cornstarch), dissolved in 20ml cold water (add late)

Method

Using a sharp knife, cut the beef into large chunks. Don't worry about trimming all the fat, it renders down and adds flavour during the long cook.
~5 min
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan or wok over a high heat. Add the beef in batches without overcrowding the pan and seal until browned on all sides.
~8 min
While the beef is sealing, plug in the slow cooker and turn it onto high. Add the prepared swede, onion, leek, carrots and baby potatoes to the pot.
~5 min
Pour in the beef stock, add the red wine if using, the bay leaves and the heaped tablespoon of tomato paste.
~2 min
Add the sealed beef to the pot and give everything a gentle mix.
~1 min
Season with salt and black pepper to taste. A dash of Worcestershire sauce or white pepper can also be added if you like.
~1 min
Place the lid on and let the stew come up to a simmer on high. This can take 20 minutes to 1 hour depending on the temperature of the stock.
~30 min
Once simmering, turn the slow cooker down to low and cook for approximately 3 hours, until the beef is very tender and the vegetables are cooked through.
~180 min
Check the beef is tender and a potato is cooked through. Mix 2 heaped teaspoons of cornflour with 20ml cold water and stir half into the stew, gently folding it through. It will thicken almost immediately. Add the rest if needed.
~3 min
Remove the bay leaves, replace the lid and let the stew rest for 5 minutes before serving in big bowls with crusty bread.
~5 min

Frequently asked

Do I need to brown the beef first?

Yes. Slow cookers steam rather than fry, so sealing the beef in a hot pan first is what gives the stew its deep, savoury flavour and rich colour.

Why not coat the beef in flour like an oven stew?

In a slow cooker, floured meat tends to make the gravy stick to the sides and bottom of the pot due to the long cook and lack of stirring. It's much better to thicken with a cornflour slurry at the end.

Can I leave it cooking while I'm out at work?

Yes. Use cold stock instead of hot, leave the slow cooker on low and set it for around 5 hours. If your model has a built in timer it will switch to keep warm when done.

What's the best cut of beef to use?

Cheaper cuts that suit long cooking work brilliantly, including chuck, skirt or shin. A lean roasting joint also works well if you spot one on offer.

Can I leave the red wine out?

Yes. The red wine is optional, though it does add a lovely depth of flavour. Top up with a little extra beef stock if you skip it.

Extraction notes (transparency): Quantities for vegetables, stock, wine, beef and seasoning were not stated in the transcript or description (John says he 'weighed out' the veg for a 2.5L pot but does not state amounts). Quantities below are reasonable estimates for a 2.5L small slow cooker serving roughly 4 people and should be reviewed against the written recipe on profoodhomemade.com. Cornflour quantity (2 heaped teaspoons in 20ml cold water) was explicit in the transcript.