Slow Cooker Chipotle Beef Stew With Chilli Pickle Potatoes

Before you begin...

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

Turn on your slow cooker to high

Now, let's get started!

Boil a kettle

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a generous drizzle of vegetable oil over a high heat

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

Cut your red onion[s] into quarters

Drain and rinse your black beans

Crush your garlic open by squashing with the side of a knife and discard the skin

Slice your green chilli[es] roughly

Add the onion wedges and crushed garlic to the dish with your tomato paste and 1 tbsp [1 1/2 tbsp] [2 tbsp] flour and give everything a good mix up

Add 300ml [400ml] [500ml] boiled water with your ground smoked paprika, dried oregano, chipotle paste (can't handle the heat? Go easy!) and beef stock mix

Add the drained black beans with a pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a high heat

Add the chopped chilli to a small bowl with your cider vinegar, 1/2 tsp [3/4 tsp] [1 tsp] sugar and set aside – this is your quick-pickled green chilli

Once boiling, transfer everything from the pan to the slow cooker

Give everything a good mix up, then cover and cook on high for 4 hours (no pink meat!) – this is your slow cooker chipotle beef stew

Once the stew has 15 min left, chop your potatoes (skins on) into bite-sized pieces

Add the chopped potatoes to a large heat-proof bowl covered with cling film and pierce a few holes in the top with a fork

Put the bowl in the microwave for 8-10 min or until the potatoes are fork-tender

Add a small knob of butter and season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper and roughly crush with a fork – these are your crushed potatoes