HEARTY BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Pre heat over to 150 degrees C/ gas mark 2.
• Chop the onion, carrots, swede and parsnip and add to a casserole dish. Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks. Add these also.
• Cut the braising steak into bite size pieces and add this, raw, to the casserole dish also.
• Sprinkle over the beef stock, then fill the casserole dish with cold water, so that the water just covers the ingredients.
• Put a lid on the casserole dish and place in the centre of the oven. Leave to cook for between 4 to 6 hours. The longer you leave it to cook, the more tender the meat will be. Stir every hour to make sure the ingredients don't stick. Approx. 15 minutes before the stew is ready, add the gravy granules to the mixture and stir well. Add a little at a time until the mixture is as thick as you like it. Add 4 or 5 shakes of tabasco sauce. Leave to cook in the oven for a further 15 minutes until warmed through. Serve immediately with crusty bread or in a giant Yorkshire Pudding.