Classic Beef & Beer Stew

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add speck and onion. Cook for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to slow cooker.

Add beef to frying pan, in batches, and cook for 8 minutes or until browned on all sides. Transfer to slow cooker. Sprinkle plain flour and sugar into frying pan. Stir with a wooden spoon over heat for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and slowly add beer and vinegar, stirring until smooth. Return to heat and stir constantly until mixture comes to the boil.

Strain the sauce into slow cooker. Add 6 sprigs of thyme and bay leaves. Cook in slow cooker on Low setting for 6 hours or until meat is tender.

One hour before serving, place self-raising flour into a bowl. Add butter. Using your fingertips, rub butter into self-raising flour until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Strip leaves from remaining thyme (you will need 2 tablespoons). Add to flour mixture with parmesan and salt. Stir until combined.

Whisk milk, egg and mustard in a jug. Stir into flour mixture using a flat-edged knife until mixture just comes together. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and flatten mixture into a 1.5cm-thick round.

Using a 5cm-round biscuit cutter, cut 12 rounds from dough. Arrange dumplings on top of beef mixture in slow cooker. Cover and cook for 30–40 minutes or until dumplings are cooked through. Serve.