Ingredients
- 2 pounds (1 kg) top round steak or lean stewing beef (in 1-inch (2 ½ cm) chunks)
- 2 sliced celery stalks
- 4 carrots (in ½-inch (1 ¼ cm) slices)
- 2 yellow onions (sliced)
- ¼ cup (60ml) water
- ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (185ml) dry red wine or beef broth
- 8 medium mushrooms (sliced)
- 14 ½ ounces (400g) diced tomatoes in juice (canned)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1½ teaspoons salt
For the Dumplings
- ½ cup (125ml) milk (I used 2% (semi-skimmed))
- 1 ½ cups Bisquick
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried sage
- ¼ teaspoon dried rosemary
Method
- Put the beef, celery, carrots, onions, tomatoes, thyme, pepper, mustard, mushrooms, and wine or beef broth into a slow cooker.
- Cover and cook on a low heat for 8 to 10 hours or a high heat for 4 or 5 hours.
- The vegetables and beef will become tender - don't open the crockpot as it cooks (you'll lengthen the cooking time if you do!)
- Nest, combine the flour with the water and stir this mixture slowly into the beef stew.
- Combine the Bisquick with the thyme, sage and rosemary and stir in the milk until the mixture is just moistened.
- Drop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough on to the hot beef stew.
- Cover again and cook on high for 30 minutes.
Notes
- If using wine, use the full amount of salt. If using beef broth, add less at first, then taste before serving.
- The dumplings are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Potatoes can replace the carrots. Parsnip, turnip or rutabaga (swede) also work.
- Browning the beef first adds extra flavor, but it’s optional. Add the browned beef to the slow cooker with the vegetables and liquid.