Classic Camp Oven Beef Stew

The classic Aussie beef stew — the one your grandparents made, the one that warms a campsite on a cold night, the one everyone goes back for seconds. Diced braising steak, slow-cooked with onion, garlic, carrots, celery + a touch of red wine, finished with the lid off to thicken into proper gravy. Hearty, generous, family-friendly. Serve over boiled new potatoes. Recipe Card Serves 4–6 Prep 15 min Cook 1.5–2 hrs Method Camp oven Difficulty Easy Best for Camp specialist Photo by Laura Ohlman on Unsplash Classic Camp Oven Beef Stew Serves: 4-6 · Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 90 minutes · Equipment: camp oven OR Dutch oven on gas stove Photo: Nathan Dumlao / Unsplash Ingredients 1kg diced braising steak (chuck, blade, or gravy beef — 2cm cubes) 4 tbsp olive oil 2 large brown onions, roughly chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed + chopped 2 large carrots, roughly chopped 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped 1 tsp dried mixed herbs (or 2 tbsp fresh thyme + parsley) 1 bay leaf Grated zest of ½ lemon 1 cup beef stock or gravy 400ml dry red wine Salt + cracked pepper Optional add-ins: 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce; 100g chopped bacon; 200g mushrooms. To serve: boiled new potatoes, mashed potato, crusty bread, OR pearl couscous. Method 1. Pre-heat camp oven over medium-hot coals. 2. Sauté the vegetables. Heat 2 tbsp oil in the camp oven. Add onion, cook 2 minutes. Add garlic, carrots + celery; cook a further 10 minutes until softened. Remove + set aside on a plate. 3. Brown the beef. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in the camp oven. Brown the diced steak in batches — single layer, don't crowd. Each batch about 4-5 minutes total. The deep mahogany sear = flavour. 4. Build the stew. Return ALL meat to the camp oven, plus the cooked vegetables. Add the herbs, bay leaf, lemon zest, beef stock, red wine + salt + pepper to taste. 5. Bring to the boil over the coals. 6. Lid on, simmer for 1 hour. Reduce heat (fewer coals on top, fewer underneath). Check halfway — should be gently simmering, not vigorously boiling. 7. Lid OFF for the final 30 minutes. This reduces the liquid + thickens into proper gravy. Stir occasionally. Liquid should reduce to about ⅔ of starting volume. 8. Test: beef should be fork-tender (falling apart with light pressure); gravy should coat the back of a spoon. 9. Check liquid level as you go — if it reduces too much (sticking risk), add a splash more stock. 10. Serve generously over boiled new potatoes. Crusty bread to mop the gravy. Tips and variations Cut choice matters. Chuck, blade, gravy beef — all chosen for fat + connective tissue that breaks down beautifully over slow cooking. Lean cuts dry out Brown in BATCHES — don't crowd the pot. Crowded = steamed grey meat instead of deep brown sear. Brown sear = flavour Don't skip the lemon zest — adds a brightness that lifts the deep beef + wine flavour Without wine: use extra stock + 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar + 1 tbsp Worcestershire. Different but excellent Add veg variations — potatoes (in last 30 mins), mushrooms, parsnip, sweet potato, peas (last 5 mins) Make ahead: tastes BETTER the next day. Refrigerate overnight, reheat gently. Cookout 2L on day 1, eat half day 1, half day 2 Freezes brilliantly — divide into ziplock bags, freeze flat, defrost on next trip Dumplings on top — last 20 minutes, drop spoonfuls of self-raising scone dough. Lid on. Soaks up the gravy. Pure heaven Without camp oven: Dutch oven on a butane stove on low for 90 mins; or kitchen oven 160°C for 2 hours; or pressure cooker 35 minutes Our take The dinner that brings everyone to the campfire. Beef stew is one of those universal dishes that just works — kids eat it, adults love it, leftovers reheat beautifully, the smell drifts through camp + brings everyone over. Master this base recipe + you've got the framework for endless variations: lamb stew, chicken cassoulet, sausage + bean stew, even a vegetarian root-vegetable version. The slow-cook + lid-off-to-thicken technique is universal. Shop Camp Ovens

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