Slow-cooked beef stew

• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz)stewing beef or beef chuckcut into chunks about 3 cm (1¼ in); thawed in the fridge if frozen
• 1onionfinely chopped
• 3 mediumcarrots
• 3 mediumpotatoesabout 500 g (1 lb 2 oz)
• 1 tbsptomato paste (purée)check the label for no added salt
• 1 litre (4 cups)waterplus a little extra if it gets thick
• 1 clovegarlicfinely minced, optional
• 1 tspfresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp dried thymeoptional; strip fresh leaves off the stems and chop them finely
• 1 tbspolive or vegetable oil

Steps

1. 1Wash your hands. Rinse and peel the onion, then chop it finely. Scrub the carrots and potatoes under running water and peel them. Cut away any green, damaged or sprouting parts of the potatoes. Cut the carrots lengthwise into sticks about 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), not round coins, and cut the potatoes into wedges of a similar size.
2. 2Trim any large pieces of fat or gristle off the beef. There's no need to rinse raw beef. Wash your hands, board and knife after handling it.
3. 3Heat the oil in a large, heavy pan over medium-low heat and cook the onion gently for about 10 minutes, until very soft and see-through. Add the garlic and thyme for the last minute.
4. 4Add the beef, tomato paste and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer very gently for 1½ hours, stirring now and then. Don't add salt, stock cubes or gravy granules.
5. 5Add the carrots and potatoes and simmer, covered, for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the beef falls apart when pressed with a fork and a knife slides through the carrots with no resistance. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick. The USDA's safe minimum for whole cuts of beef (steaks, roasts and chops) is 145°F (63°C) with a 3-minute rest, and beef simmered this long until it falls apart goes well past it. If you use ground (minced) beef instead, cook it to 160°F (71°C), checked with a food thermometer.
6. 6Slow cooker option: thaw the beef in the fridge first, never cook it from frozen. Put the vegetables in the pot first, then the beef, softened onion, tomato paste and 600 ml (2½ cups) water. Keep the lid on and cook on low for 8 to 9 hours, until the beef falls apart. If the power goes out while you're not home, throw the stew away, even if it looks done.
7. 7Take your baby's portion out now, before any salt or seasoning goes in. Lift out the beef, remove any bone, fat or gristle, and pull it into strips along the grain or shred it finely. Mash some potato into the liquid to thicken it. Spread it in a shallow bowl to cool, stirring, and check it's only just warm before serving.