Jamaican Beef Stew

'A tender, succulent and spicy beef stew. Get a taste of Jamaica with this hearty beef stew made with authentic Jamaican herbs and spices – allspice, thyme, ginger and, of course, scotch bonnet pepper. It’s a very easy, slow cook recipe and can be made ahead of time and reheated once ready to serve.

I tend to use around 2 scotch bonnet peppers in this recipe. As it requires a slow cook to make the beef juicy and tender, the scotch bonnet tends to cook out and produces a mild heat. If you’re not too sure start with 1 scotch pepper in the recipe and add more whilst it’s slow cooking. It’s absolutely delicious!'

INGREDIENTS

• 3 lbs. 3 oz. stewing beef, cut into chunks

For the paste/marinade

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 oz. ginger, grated
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 stalks spring onions, chopped
• 1-2 scotch bonnet, roughly chopped with seeds
• Handful fresh coriander, chopped
• 2 oz. celery, chopped
• 2 tbsp. soft dark brown sugar
• ½ tsp. salt plus extra
• ½ tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 ½ tsp. ground all spice
• 1 ½ tsp. dried thyme
• 2 tbsp. sunflower or vegetable oil, plus extra for cooking
• 4 tbsp. boiling water

For the stew

• ½ pt. boiling water, plus more if necessary

METHOD

1. Put all the paste ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
2. Thoroughly combine the paste with the beef and set aside for a minimum of 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge (remembering to bring it back to room temperature before cooking).
3. Place a large pan over a medium-high heat. Add about 2 tbsp. oil in the pan. Once the oil is hot add brown the beef in batches, transferring the browned meat into another clean bowl.
4. Once all the beef has been browned all, place all the meat back into the large pan along with its juices. Add in the remaining paste and cook through for 3 minutes stirring frequently.
5. Next, add in ½ pt. boiling water and stir in well.
6. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover the pan with a lid and slow cook for about 1 ½ – 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Stir every 30-45 minutes and add more water only if the stew is drying out.
7. Serve hot with rice and peas.

For more INCREDIBLE recipes from lovely Ney check out her instagram on @neyskitchen.official