One-Pot Cuban-Style Beef & Pepper Stew

Before you begin...

This recipe takes around 5-10 min to prep, so get your casserole dish and all your ingredients ready, then wash your fruit and veg

Note: Make sure your dish is oven-proof and safe to use on the hob. Don't have one? Start cooking in a large, wide-based pan then transfer to an oven-proof dish and cover tightly with foil

Now let's get started!

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7

Boil a kettle

Heat a large, wide-based hob-safe oven-proof casserole dish with a drizzle of olive oil over a high heat

Once hot, add your diced beef to the dish with a generous pinch of salt

Cook for 2-3 min or until starting to brown

Meanwhile, peel and chop your brown onion[s] into wedges

Deseed your pepper[s] (scrape the seeds and pith out with a teaspoon) and chop into rough chunks

Crush your garlic open by squashing it with the side of a knife and remove the skins

Drain and rinse your black beans

Reduce the heat to medium

Add the onion wedges and chopped pepper to the dish with 1 tsp [1 1/2 tsp] [2 tsp] flour, the crushed garlic, black beans, ground smoked paprika, bay leaf[ves] and ground cumin and give everything a good mix up

Add 500ml [750ml] [1L] boiled water, your beef stock mix, tomato paste and red wine paste and stir it all together

Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and bring to the boil over a high heat

Cover with the lid and put the dish in the oven for 1 hour or until the sauce is rich and the beef is tender – this is your Cuban-style beef & pepper stew

Once the stew has been cooking for 45 min, add your white long grain rice to a pot with a lid with 225ml [300ml] [450ml] cold water and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 12-15 min or until all the water has absorbed and the rice is cooked

Once done, remove from the heat and set aside (lid on) to steam until serving