You must try this.

I’ll be twisting your arm if you don’t because you’ll miss out on the best beef stew, ever. You will want to bathe yourself in this stuff or use it as a perfume, mark my words.

As if a slow simmered beef stew isn’t good enough on its own, this one’s infused with a lot of different tomato flavors—from sun dried tomatoes packed in oil and sweet cherry tomatoes that pop open, to tomato paste that deepens the tomato flavor even more—turning it into the best beef stew I ever ate in my life.

Now don’t argue me on this, trust me and cook it! I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Ingredients:

2 pounds stewing steak (I used ‘riblappen’)
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
4 sun-dried tomatoes (on oil)
1 package cherry tomatoes
2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp Italians herbs
2 heaping tbsp tomato paste
6 cups beef stock (warm)
fresh basil

Directions:

Cut the onions in half-rings and grate the garlic.

The meat. Of course there’s meat. I have no idea what cut of meat these riblappen are in other countries but you can’t go wrong with stewing steak.

 
I trim some of the fat, but that’s a personal choice. You can choose to leave it on or remove it all.
 

In a small bowl you combine the flour with the mustard powder, pepper, salt and a pinch of nutmeg.

Cube the meat, dap it dry with kitchen paper and sprinkle the flour mix all over.

Slice the sun-dried tomatoes in thin strips.

Heat some butter and brown the beef in small batches. Don’t overcrowd your pan or the beef won’t brown properly.

Add a bit more butter and sauté the onions for a minute or 4. Add the garlic and cook for an extra minute.

Add the beef to the onions.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, hot beef stock and tomato paste.

 
Normally I’d cook the tomato paste to sweeten it up but I needed the acidity this time, so I didn’t.
 

Beef stew needs bay leaves. Yes, it does. There’s no getting around that.

Bring it to a boil and simmer it, over low heat, for at least 2 and a half hours.

 
Fast forward.
 

Remove the bay leaves and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

Wash the cherry tomatoes and add them to the stew. Simmer the stew for another 15 to 30 minutes.

 
The cherry tomatoes will pop and get all sweet and delicious.
 

Yes, please.

 
This is one of the rare stews we prefer to eat with pasta here. It just works. It really works. Garnish with fresh basil.
 

Now seriously, how pretty is that?