Beef n Bacon Stew Recipe

Beef nBaconStew Recipe

It’s got Beef. It’s got Bacon. And you get to spend the afternoon around an open fire. You’re welcome!

Beef n Bacon Stew – there’s just something about it. Whether it’s the combination of the savoury beef with the salty bacon, the wholesome vegetables, or both, when the temperatures drop, it really hits the spot. It’s exactly what you need to put some meat on your bones in the colder months – or as my Grandfather used to say, ‘It sticks to your ribs!’ And you even get to spend the afternoon sitting around an open fire with your family and friends as your dinner slowly bubbles away! Oh, and for the ‘frugally minded’ of you, we’re using Gravy Beef in this recipe, so this meal is going to go a long way on just a few bucks.

And if you’d like to learn to make your own bacon at home, we can help you with that too!

One thing to remember with this Beef N Bacon Stew Recipe is that you need a cooking fire, not a bonfire. You can have that bonfire once your dinner is done. So start early. If you want to eat at 6pm, light your fire around 1pm. Start it small and let it breath – don’t load too much wood on at first. Build it up slowly, starting with twigs, then sticks, branches, and finally logs. You need to get a good bed of hot coals ready before you put your camp oven on – you don’t want flames licking the cast iron. Also, it’s important to have properly seasoned wood. Especially if you’re lighting a fire pit in your backyard in a residential area. Wood that hasn’t been seasoned properly will smoke like crazy and drive your neighbours nuts. I like to always keep a few bags of iron back stored somewhere safe and dry, and grab it when needed, rather than see what I can scrounge up on the day. Trust me – it’s important!

So with the Public Safety Announcements out of the way, let’s get you some of this delicious Beef n Bacon Stew!

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 3 – 4 hours

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Ingredients:

2 tsp whole fennel seeds
2 brown onions, cut into quarters
3 tsp minced garlic
1 kilo gravy beef, cubed
500 grams bacon chops, cubed
1 tsp Parsley flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp rosemary leaves
4 tins diced tomatoes
1 tin tomato paste
7 medium potatoes, cubed
8 medium carrots, cubed
1/2 cup Worcestershire Sauce
2 cups water
Sea salt
Fresh cracked black pepper
Olive Oil

Equipment:

Firepit
9 quart camp oven (Affiliate Link)
Camp oven tripod (Affiliate Link)
Camp oven lid-lifter
Heat Resistant gloves
Two cutting boards
Sharp knives
Wooden spoon
Measuring Cups & Spoons
Paper Towel

Method:

Build a fire in the fire pit.
Build the fire up to burning logs and let the logs burn down to coals. This will take about an hour.
Set up the tripod.
Clean the camp oven if necessary, and lightly oil with olive oil & paper towel.
Put the oiled camp oven on the hook on the tripod over the fire and allow it to heat up.
Put in the fennel seeds and toast them until fragrant.
Add the onion and minced garlic and allow the onion to soften.
Add the cubed beef and bacon.
Brown the beef.
Add the parsley flakes, ground cumin and rosemary leaves.
Add the canned tomatoes, diced potatoes, carrots, Worcestershire sauce and water.
Put the lid on the camp oven and let it simmer for 3 to 4 hours, stirring and rotating the camp oven every 45 minutes. You may need to add water if required. Remember to use the lid lifter and heat resistant gloves.
Season the stew with salt and pepper to taste if necessary, tasting each time to stir it.
The stew is done when the meat is tender.
If you feel the camp oven needs to be hotter or cooler, adjust the height using the hooks and chains on the tripod, and the size of the fire.