Recipe: Braised beef (oyster blade) stew with mushrooms

Given the choice, I would cook beef stew on the hob rather than in the oven as it saves time and there are less things to clean up after. For this beef stew, I used my favorite braising cut, the Black Angus oyster blade cut which is a very affordable as well as being rich in flavour - it is not suited for steaks but slow cooking will make it melt-in-the-mouth, especially the gelatinous connective tissue that runs through it. 

Braised oyster blade beef stew with mushrooms

I also chose to add Shiitake mushrooms which has a lovely meaty texture and it also soaks up the lovely braising liquid. The preparation for this dish is very easy - all you need to do is brown the meat first, then add in the rest of the ingredients and braise over a low heat until the meat is fork-tender.

We chose to serve the braised beef stew with some boiled rice (you'll find yourself going for more rice to soak up the lovely sauce), but you can also serve it with crusty bread or mashed potatoes.  An absolutely comforting, hearty stew.

Braised oyster blade beef stew with mushrooms
Recipe by Baby Sumo
Preparation time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
Serves 4

Ingredients
800g braising beef (I used oyster blade), cut into large chunks
2 onions, cut into thick slices
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 cup beef stock
1 cup water
3 tbsp tomato paste/puree
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
2 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
6 shitake mushrooms, sliced thinly
5g cep/porcini mushrooms, rehydrated
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 dried bay leaves
2 carrots, cut into chunks
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
Rosemary sprigs, to garnish


1. In a large pot or casserole, heat the oil over high heat. When the oil is smoking hot, add the beef to quickly sear, until the meat is browned.

2. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaf, stock, water, tomato puree, shitake mushrooms, porcini mushrooms, dried thyme, black peppercorns and Worchestershire sauce and mix well. Season with salt.

3. Bring to the boil and once boiling, cover with lid, and cook for approximately 1 1/2 - 2 hours over low heat until meat is fork-tender. Add the carrots 30 minutes before the end of cooking time. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired, and then serve with rice or mash potatoes or chunky bread. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary.

*I am submitting this to this month's Little Thumb's Up "mushroom" event hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours.

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