Beef Casserole Base - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 1/2 kg beef chuck steaks, chopped
3 large onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup flour
1 1/4 liters beef stock
2 bay leaves

Preparation

Heat a large pan.
Reserve 1 tablespoon of the oil.
Add remaining oil and steak in batches until all the meat is browned.
Put the meat aside on a plate.
Heat reserved oil and add the onions and garlic.
Cook until onions are soft and lightly browned.
Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes or until browned.
Gradually add the stock and bay leaves, stirring to blend.
Return the meat and any meat juices on the plate to the pan.
Simmer, covered for 1 1/4 hours.
Discard bay leaves and divide meat base into 3 equal portions.
These can be frozen for up to 3 months and are used as the bases for Red Wine Casserole, Mexican Casserole and Diane Style Casserole.