Beef stew

To prepare beef stew, start by heating a saucepan with the meat stock and leave hot (you'll need around 4.4 - 5.5 lb but can prepare it in abundance and always freeze what you won't use). In the meantime, clean the celery, carrot and onion; finely chop the vegetables into 0.2-0.25 inch cubes 1. Tie the thyme, sage and rosemary with a piece of cooking twine 2. Lastly, cut the meat into 1.6 - 2 inch sized cubes 3.

Heat the butter and oil in a casserole 4. As soon as the bottom is hot, add the finely chopped celery, carrot and onion and leave to flavor on a low flame for around ten minutes; you can add a little hot stock if necessary 5. Once the vegetables have thoroughly sweated, add the meat 6,

turn up the flame and cook the contents thoroughly for ten minutes or so, add salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with flour and leave to toast for a couple of minutes: be very careful not to burn it, so stir frequently 7. Add the red wine, simmer and reduce 8, then add the bouquet garni and cover with the hot beef stock 9.

Cover with a lid and leave to cook on a medium flame for at least 2 hours; be sure to stir occasionally and check to see whether more meat stock needs to be added, so that it doesn't become too dry 10. Once cooked, remove the bouquet garni 11 and make sure the beef stew is salted to taste. Now all you need to do is serve your beef stew 12!