Beef Stew

Ingredients:

olive oil

1 knob butter

1 onion, peeled and chopped 

1 handful fresh sage leaves  

800 g quality stewing steak or beef skirt, cut into 5cm pieces 

sea salt  

freshly ground black pepper 

flour, to dust  

2 parsnips, peeled and quartered 

4 carrots, peeled and halved  

½ butternut squash, halved, deseeded and roughly diced 

1 handful Jerusalem artichokes, peeled and halved, optional  

500 g small potatoes 

2 tablespoons tomato purée  

½ bottle red wine 

285 ml organic beef or vegetable stock  

finely grated zest of 1 lemon 

1 handful rosemary, leaves picked  

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160ºC/300ºF/gas 2. Put a little oil and your knob of butter into an appropriately sized pot or casserole pan. Add your onion and all the sage leaves and fry for 3 or 4 minutes. Toss the meat in a little seasoned flour, then add it to the pan with all the vegetables, the tomato purée, wine and stock, and gently stir together.

Season generously with freshly ground black pepper and just a little salt. Bring to the boil, place a lid on top, then cook in the preheated oven until the meat is tender. Sometimes this takes 3 hours, sometimes 4 – it depends on what cut of meat you're using and how fresh it is. The only way to test is to mash up a piece of meat and if it falls apart easily it's ready. Once it's cooked, you can turn the oven down to about 110°C/225°F/gas ¼ and just hold it there until you're ready to eat.

The best way to serve this is by ladling big spoonfuls into bowls, accompanied by a glass of French red wine and some really fresh, warmed bread. Mix the lemon zest, chopped rosemary and garlic together and sprinkle over the stew before eating. Just the smallest amount will make a world of difference – as soon as it hits the hot stew it will release an amazing fragrance.

(courtesy of Jamie oliver) 

Chilli Con Carne

• Ingredients:
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 large onion
• 1 red pepper
• 2 garlic cloves , peeled
• 1 heaped tsp hot chilli powder (or 1 level tbsp if you only have mild)
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 500g lean minced beef
• 1 beef stock cube
• 400g can chopped tomatoes
• ½ tsp dried marjoram
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 410g can red kidney beans
• plain boiled long grain rice , to serve
• soured cream , to serve

Method:

1. Chop 1 large onion into small dice. Peel and finely chop 2 garlic cloves.
2. Fry the onions for about 5 minutes. Tip in the garlic, red pepper, 1 heaped tsp hot chilli powder or 1 level tbsp mild chilli powder, 1 tsp paprika and 1 tsp ground cumin. Give it a good stir, then leave it to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Brown the 500g lean minced beef. Turn the heat up a bit, add the meat to the pan and break it up with your spoon or spatula. The mix should sizzle a bit when you add the mince. Keep stirring and prodding for at least 5 minutes, until all the mince is in uniform, mince-sized lumps and there are no more pink bits. Make sure you keep the heat hot enough for the meat to fry and become brown, rather than just stew.
4. Crumble 1 beef stock cube into 300ml hot water. Pour this into the pan with the mince mixture. Open 1 can of chopped tomatoes (400g can) and add these as well. Tip in ½ tsp dried marjoram and 1 tsp sugar, if using, and add a good shake of salt and pepper. Squirt in about 2 tbsp tomato purée and stir the sauce well.
5. Bring the whole thing to the boil, give it a good stir and put a lid on the pan. Turn down the heat until it is gently bubbling and leave it for 20 minutes. You should check on the pan occasionally to stir it and make sure the sauce doesn't catch on the bottom of the pan or isn't drying out. If it is, add a couple of tablespoons of water and make sure that the heat really is low enough. After simmering gently, the mixture should look thick, moist and juicy.
6. Bring on the beans. Drain and rinse 1 can of red kidney beans (410g can) in a sieve and stir them into the chilli pot. Bring to the boil again, and gently bubble without the lid for another 10 minutes, adding a little more water if it looks too dry. Taste a bit of the chilli and season. It will probably take a lot more seasoning than you think. Now replace the lid, turn off the heat and leave your chilli to stand for 10 minutes before serving, and relax. Leaving your chilli to stand is really important as it allows the flavours to mingle and the meat.
7. Serve with soured cream and plain boiled long grain rice.

Braised Meatballs in Goulash Sauce

Ingredients

 1 x 12 Waitrose Aberdeen Angus Beef Meatballs (430g)

 1 tablespoon seasoned flour

 1 dessertspoon olive oil

For the sauce

 1 dessertspoon olive oil

 400g can Essential Waitrose chopped tomatoes

 1 large green pepper, deseeded and cut into 2.5cm pieces

 1 medium onion, chopped

 1 clove garlic, crushed

 1 teaspoon Seasoned Pioneers Hot Paprika, plus a little extra

 3 tablespoons half fat creme fraiche

 250g De Cecco Fettuccine all'Uovo

 1 teaspoon olive oil

 1 heaped teaspoon poppy seeds

 Preheat the oven to 140°C, gas mark 1.

Coat the meatballs in lightly seasoned flour and brown in a casserole in batches and remove to a plate.

In the same pan heat the oil, add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, then add the garlic, cook for another minute, add in the paprika and any remaining seasoned flour, and give it a stir to soak up the juices. Then add the tomatoes, a little salt and bring it up to simmering point, stirring all the time.

Add the meatballs and bring it back to a gentle simmer, then put a lid on and transfer to the middle shelf of the oven for 1 hour. 

Stir in the green pepper, put the lid back on and cook for a further half hour.

Just before serving, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling water for 4 minutes, then drain and return it to the pan and toss with a teaspoon of olive oil and the poppy seeds. 

Now divide the pasta into warm bowls. Lightly stir the crème fraîche into the meatballs and sauce to give a marbled effect.

Spoon it onto the fettuccine and sprinkle a dusting of paprika on as a garnish as they go to the table.

(Courtesy of Delia Smith)