Slow cooker diced beef is the set-and-forget stew — brown the cubes, tip them in, and come home to gravy. Extra Lean Diced Beef 400g is the lean batch-cook pack; Braising Steaks 5x 100g is the steak-style braise when you want larger pieces to shred. Shop both in lean meat and beef.
Slow cooker method
Pat the dice dry — wet meat steams grey. Season with salt and pepper. Brown hard in a hot pan in batches with a splash of oil, two to three minutes for colour, then tip into the slow cooker. Soften onions and garlic in the same pan, splash in stock, a bay leaf, and a spoon of tomato puree or mustard, then pour over the beef. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or high 3 to 4 hours until a cube yields to a fork — lean dice can dry if you blast it dry, so keep enough liquid to just cover. Taste for salt at the end. Skim foam early if it rises. For a thicker gravy, stir a cornflour slurry in for the last 20 minutes on high with the lid ajar. Never skip the brown step if you can help it — that colour is the gravy flavour. Cool leftovers quickly and fridge within two hours.
Oven, pan and air fryer backup
No slow cooker: oven casserole 160°C for 2 to 2.5 hours, pan simmer covered 60 to 90 minutes, or air fryer 180°C for 12 to 16 minutes shaking halfway for a dry stir-fry finish. Browse lean meat for lighter packs, and beef for mince, steaks and joints beside.
What to serve
Mash, dumplings, or rice with the gravy, or fold into pies and jacket potatoes. Leftover stew freezes well in flat bags; thaw overnight and reheat until piping hot.
Times above are a guide for home ovens, air fryers and pans — always trust a probe over the clock, and rest meat before you carve so the juices stay in the slice, not on the board. British packs vary a little in thickness, so start checking a few minutes early the first time you cook a new size.
Write your own fridge note the first time you cook a new pack size — home ovens and pans vary, and a two-minute early check beats dry meat. Rest on a warm plate, not a cold board, so the juices stay put when you carve or plate up.