You could do this in a slow cooker, and some may argue that you should do it in a pot. Putting something in a tray and wrapping it in foil and letting it do its thing in the oven, in my experience, offers the least risk of a black and crispy stew.
YIELDS
4 Servings
600 g stewing beef (chuck – cut into 3cm cubes)
2 tbsp chilli powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp whole cumin seeds
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion (chopped)
2 stalks celery (chopped)
2 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 whole jalapeño chilli (seeded and chopped)
1 tsp tomato paste
1 cup beef stock (or broth)
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
2 whole bay leaves
½ handful coriander (chopped)
½ handful flat-leaf parsley (chopped)
2 medium spring onions (chopped)
Preheat the oven to 160.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the meat with the chilli powder, cayenne pepper, cumin, cinnamon, oregano, bay leaves, pepper and salt.
Get the oil up to a high heat in a large pan and add in the meat cubes. Only add enough to cover ¾ of the base of pan. Otherwise they won’t brown nicely.
Cook the meat cubes on each side until they are dark brown, then repeat with the remaining cubes and set them aside.
Now, in the same pan, add the onions and celery and sauté them until soft, then add the garlic and jalapenos and cook until fragrant.
Finally, add the beef, tomato paste, beef broth, chopped tomatoes and bay leaves and bring to the boil.
Tip the whole thing into an ovenproof dish and wrap it in foil (or just put the lid on if the pot is oven proof) and put it in the oven for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, remove the cover, stir through the herbs and scatter with spring onions before serving. Goes well with a dollop of sour cream and a twist of fresh lime.