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Wonderbag beef & butternut stew served Copyright Jeanne Horak 2025

Beef, butternut squash and ginger stew

This slow cooked beef stew with its Japanese-inspired flavours can be made with or without a slow cooker - or even in a Wonderbag™!

Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Keyword beef, casserole, Gluten-free
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Servings 4
Author Jeanne Horak

Ingredients

  • 0.75 to 1 kg boneless braising/stewing beef cut into 2.5-4cm chunks
  • 1 Tbsp sunflower oil for searing
  • 500 ml chicken stock or dashi stock
  • 60 ml light soy sauce
  • 60 ml honey or mirin (rice wine)
  • 10 slices peeled ginger root, about 2cm in diameter
  • 1 clementine or small orange
  • 700 g peeled butternut squash, pumpkin or sweet potatoes cut into 2.5cm chunks

  • salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. Heat the of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, sear the meat until nicely browned on all sides side, about 5 minutes. Transfer chunks to a medium-size casserole with a tight-fitting lid.

  2. Add the stock to the pan and cook over high heat, stirring and scraping until all the solids are integrated into the liquid. Remove from heat, mix in the soy sauce and mirin/honey and pour over the beef in the casserole together with the ginger. Peel the clementine/orange, add the peel to the casserole. Juice the fruit and reserve the juice

IF COOKING IN A WONDERBAG™

  1. Bring the casserole to a gentle boil on the hob and allow to simmer for at least 15 minutes. Add the squash, mix, close the lid and then remove the casserole from the heat.

  2. Place a heatproof trivet in the base of your Wonderbag™ or a couple of folded tea towels. Place the sealed pot on top of the trivet/tea towels, cover with the insulated Wonderbag™ "lid" and pull the drawstring as tight as you can to seal the bag.

  3. Allow to cook in the bag without opening for at least 2 hours - but the longer you leave it the more tender it will be. (On average, even after 5 hours in the Wonderbag™ the temperature of the food is still 70C so you can easily start it before work and come home to a cooked meal.)

  4. When you are ready to serve, open the bag and remove the pot - be careful, mine was still too hot to touch! Salt as necessary and stir in the reserved juice.

  5. You can serve immediately, but as I wanted the sauce a little thicker I stirred in a little cornflour/cornstarch mixed with water before serving in bowls over brown rice.

IF COOKING ON A CONVENTIONAL HOB/OVEN

  1. Bring to the boil on the hob (or in a 180C oven) and leave at a steady simmer for at least 30 minutes, then stir. Check approximately every 15 minutes and stir so that it does not stick.

  2. When the meat is nearly tender enough (about 45-60 minutes), stir in the squash and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes until the squash is tender but not mushy.

  3. Remove from the heat, add salt if necessary, then stir in the citrus juice and serve in bowls over brown rice.