Country Beef Stew with Dumplings
Rich, slow-cooked Queensland beef chuck in savoury gravy, topped with fluffy herb dumplings. Hearty comfort from the Darling Downs.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 105 min
- Total
- 130 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 680 kcal
Equipment
- •heavy-based casserole pot or Dutch oven
- •mixing bowl
- •wooden spoon
- •tongs
- •measuring spoons
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 680 kcal
- fat
- 34 g
- carbs
- 42 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 48 g
- calories
- 680 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Toss the beef cubes in plain flour with a pinch of salt and pepper until evenly coated.
- 2
Heat oil in a heavy-based pot over medium-high heat.
- 3
Brown the beef in two batches until deeply caramelised on all sides, then transfer to a plate.
- 4
Turn heat to medium, add the onion, carrots, and celery, and cook until slightly softened.
- 5
Stir through the garlic, tomato paste, and Worcestershire sauce, cooking for one minute until fragrant.
- 6
Return the beef and resting juices to the pot, then pour in the beef stock and thyme.
- 7
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer gently for 75 minutes until tender.
- 8
In a bowl, rub the grated butter into the self-raising flour until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
- 9
Stir in the chopped parsley and milk with a butter knife to make a soft, sticky dough.
- 10
Shape the dough into eight round balls using floured hands.
- 11
Place dumplings gently over the simmering stew, leaving space between each to allow for expansion.
- 12
Cover pot tightly and simmer undisturbed for 20 minutes until dumplings are puffed, light, and cooked through.
Chef's tips
Do not lift the lid while the dumplings are steaming, as escaping steam will cause them to turn heavy and dense. For a richer, traditional settler-style flavour, replace the butter in the dumplings with an equal weight of shredded beef suet.
Ingredient substitutions
- cold unsalted butter → shredded beef suet
- beef stock → vegetable stock with an extra dash of Worcestershire sauce
- self-raising flour → 150 g plain flour sifted with 2 tsp baking powder
Storage
Store leftover stew in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, keeping dumplings separate if possible to prevent them becoming soggy.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a covered saucepan over low heat with a splash of water until piping hot throughout.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Crowding the pot while browning beef, which steams the meat instead of caramelising it.
- •Lifting the lid during the final 20 minutes, preventing the dumplings from steaming properly.
- •Overworking the dumpling dough, which develops gluten and makes them rubbery.
Serving suggestions
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