Maltese beef stew

Ingredients

• 400 g diced stewing steak
• 1 small onion, roughly chopped
• 4 large cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
• 250 ml red wine (Chianti preferably)
• 2 tablespoons tomato concentrate
• 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 2 large carrots, peeled, chopped into large slices
• 2 medium potatoes, chopped in large even pieces
• 1/2 cup fresh peas
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

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Preparation

• In a large saucepan, over a medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and add the onions, frying gently until soft, add the garlic, cook until browned.
• Keep on a medium-high heat, add the diced beef and turn over once or twice until browned. Pour in the red wine and stir, when the wine has begun to boil, add the tomato concentrate and chopped tomatoes, once it has begun to boil again turn down the heat to a gentle simmer.
• Add the stock cube, pepper, curry powder, nutmeg and sugar and stir through, cover and leave to simmer on a low heat for 1 1/2 hours, so the sauce is simmering very gently without bubbling on the surface too much. Stir occasionally.
• After the 1.5 hours is up, add the vegetables, cover again and continue to simmer on a low heat for a further half an hour.
  
• After the half an hour is up, uncover and simmer on a slightly higher heat for half an hour to make sure the sauce has reduced properly and vegetables are cooked through, stirring every now and then. If it appears to be reducing a little too quickly, pour in a little water from time to time.
• In the last few minutes of cooking time, stir through the peas gently so as to not break up the beef too much. The stew is done once the peas are cooked.
• Serve with hot crusty bread or over freshly prepared ribbon pasta

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