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Halal-conscious recipe

Beef stew with horseradish dumplings, Halal

John Torode's slow-cooked beef and shallot stew under horseradish dumplings, made with Halal beef, oil instead of dripping or lard, Halal stock and Halal or vegetable suet.

  • Cuisine British
  • Meal Main
  • Difficulty Easy
  • Yield 1 large casserole, 8 portions
  • Time 3h 25m
  • Last updated

Each method follows published technique for the dish, and every Halal substitution is checked against the ingredient pages we cite. Photographs come from our ingredient library rather than the finished dish.

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Irish stew with meat and vegetables
Photograph from our ingredient library: an Irish stew, not the finished dish.

Why Halal checks matter here

The beef is browned in dripping, lard or oil, and the dumplings use beef suet; lard is pork fat, dripping and suet are Halal only from Halal-slaughtered cattle, and the beef and stock need Halal sources too.

This is a long, slow beef and shallot stew finished with horseradish dumplings. There is no alcohol in it, but three fats need care: the source browns the beef in dripping, lard or oil, and the dumplings use beef suet. Lard is pork fat, and UK beef suet carries no Halal mark, so this version uses the source's oil option and Halal-sourced or vegetable suet.

It follows John Torode's beef stew with horseradish dumplings for BBC Good Food. The beef stock also needs a Halal or vegetable version (see stock cubes).

The beef braises for 2 hours 30 minutes at a low heat, then the dumplings bake on top, uncovered, at a higher one.

Halal-critical ingredients

  • Dripping or lard The source browns the beef in dripping, lard or oil. Lard is pork fat and Haram; dripping is beef fat, Halal only from Halal-slaughtered cattle. Use oil, which the source allows, as here. See Lard and Beef tallow.
  • Beef suet The Atora and Aldi beef suet pack records show no Halal mark. Buy beef suet from a Halal butcher, or use vegetable suet. See Suet.
  • Beef and beef stock Beef is Halal only from an animal slaughtered the Halal way, and UK beef stock cubes such as OXO contain beef fat that is not certified Halal. Buy the beef from a Halal butcher and use a Halal-certified or vegan vegetable stock. See Beef and Stock cubes.

Safe substitutes

  • 25 g dripping or lard → 25 g oil (the source's own option)
  • 140 g beef suet with no Halal mark → 140 g Halal-sourced beef suet or vegetable suet
  • 1 litre beef stock → 1 litre Halal beef or vegetable stock

Allergens

gluten (flour)

Ingredients

Stew

  • 2 kg Halal beef shin, neck or stewing steak, in large chunks
  • 100 g plain flour
  • 25 g oil (the source's alternative to dripping or lard)
  • 500 g shallots
  • 1 litre Halal beef stock or vegetable stock

Horseradish dumplings

  • 140 g suet: beef suet from a Halal butcher, or vegetable suet
  • 50 g fresh horseradish, grated
  • 350 g self-raising flour
  • 175 ml cold water

Method

  1. Flour the beef. Heat the oven to 140°C (120°C fan, gas 1). Trim any excess fat off the Halal beef and shake it in a large bag with the flour and some seasoning until every piece is coated.
  2. Brown and braise. Heat the oil in a very large ovenproof casserole, add the beef and shallots and cook for 10 minutes, stirring, until starting to brown. Pour in the stock, scraping the bottom of the pan, cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours 30 minutes, until the meat is tender and falling apart.
  3. Make the dumplings. Just before the beef is ready, mix the suet, horseradish and self-raising flour with the cold water to a heavy dough and roll into balls about the size of golf balls.
  4. Bake the dumplings. Put the dumplings on the stew, leave the lid off and return to the oven at 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6) for 15 to 25 minutes until puffed up, golden and cooked through.

How this recipe was researched

Method adapted from BBC Good Food's 'Beef stew with horseradish dumplings' by John Torode (serves 8: 2 kg beef shin, neck or stewing steak in large chunks, trimmed and shaken in a bag with 100 g plain flour and seasoning; browned with 500 g shallots for 10 minutes in 25 g dripping, lard or oil in a very large ovenproof casserole; 1 litre beef stock stirred in, covered and cooked 2 hours 30 minutes at 140°C (120°C fan, gas 1); dumplings of 140 g suet, 50 g fresh grated horseradish and 350 g self-raising flour mixed with 175 ml cold water into golf-ball sizes, added uncovered and baked 15 to 25 minutes at 200°C (180°C fan, gas 6)). We chose the source's oil option, and specified Halal beef, Halal or vegetable stock, and Halal-sourced beef suet or vegetable suet. Timings follow the published technique rather than a kitchen test.

Technique and ingredient sources

  1. Beef stew with horseradish dumplings — BBC Good Food Retrieved:

    By John Torode. Serves 8, prep 10 minutes, cook 3 hours 15 minutes: 2 kg floured beef browned with 500 g shallots in dripping, lard or oil, 1 litre beef stock, 2 hours 30 minutes at 140°C; dumplings of 140 g suet, 50 g horseradish and 350 g self-raising flour baked 15 to 25 minutes at 200°C. We use oil, Halal beef and stock, and Halal or vegetable suet.

  2. Suet analysis — isithalal.food Retrieved:

    Why UK beef suet carries no Halal mark, and vegetable suet as the alternative.

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