This stew has been tried and tested, a favourite of everyone who tries it. It is a great winter warmer and is even better the next day! Mustard mash is great to serve with this, but be sure to use good quality red wine!
Serves 6/8
INGREDIENTS:
2lb of diced stewing beef
(from a quality butchers)
Chantenay Carrots
Button Mushrooms
Shallots
Plum Tomatoes
Plain Flour
Sea Salt
Ground Pepper
Chicken Stock
Red Wine
Crusty Loaf
2 Garlic Cloves
5 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
5 Sprigs of Rosemary
2 tsp of Ground Ginger
WHAT TO DO:
In a big casserole pan heat a good glug of olive oil. In a bowl, put 2 cups of plain flour and add salt and pepper to season. Then in batches put in the diced beef, coating the beef in the flour.
In batches fry in the beef in the pan until brown, and put to one side (the bottom of the pan will have knarly bits in, DO NOT get rid of this as this is where the flavour comes from). Put the onions, carrots, rosemary, thyme, ginger, salt and pepper in the pan and fry until coloured.
Pour the wine into the pan and deglaze (deglazing is when you put fluid into a pan and scrape the pan of the encrusted flour and meat from the bottom), reducing the wine.
Put the meat back in the pan and stir
adding the stock, then add the tomatoes, mushrooms and gently mix.
Handy Tip:
Add the tomato's and mushrooms at the end as you do not want to break them up by stirring.
Take some tin foil, double fold and tightly cover the top of the pan. Place the lid on top of the foil and
place in a preheated oven 180c for 3 & 1/2hrs.
The stew is ready when you touch the meat and it breaks apart and when the fluid in the pan has reduced and thickened.
Check the stew and see if it needs seasoning.
Serve with crusty bread or mustard mash.
Recipe by Matt Grice
Photo taken by Rach Grice
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GREAT LADS GRUB!
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
200g Beef Mince (get your meat from a good butcher, does make a difference!)
1 large red onion
1tsp Smoked Paprika
2 Garlic cloves
Sea Salt
Pepper
Burger Buns ( good quality, again makes a difference)
2 Large vine ripened Tomatoes
Rocket
Blue Cheese (enough for 4 slices)
Mayonnaise
5 Anchovies fillets
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
WHAT TO DO:
In a frying pan over a medium heat drizzle some oil, finely chop the onion (the smaller you do this the better the burgers stick together) and add that to the oil. Crush the garlic in with the onions and add the paprika. Sautee these for around 10 minutes, you want them soft not caramelised (if you need to, add a tiny amount of water while cooking as this helps make them soft). Once done remove from heat and allow to cool.
In a mixing bowl put your mince, then add the cooled onions, mix together. At this point you can do two things, one is make them into patties or...
HANDY TIP:
For best results place mince mixture on some cling film and roll into a thick cylinder (you want the cylinder to be long but with the width of a burger). Secure the meat and place in the fridge for at least 4hrs...this not only allows the meat to bind so that you can simply cut the cylinder into 4 slices giving you firm burgers that wont fall apart, but also allows the onion mixture to infuse in the burger.
Once burgers have had the time in the fridge cut them into 4 slices giving you 4 burgers (shape if needed). Poor some oil in your hand and oil all four burgers, then season all sides with salt and pepper. Heat a frying pan on a medium/hot heat, once hot enough place burgers on the pan, these should take around 10 minutes depending on how you like them.
While the burgers are cooking slice the tomatoes and cheese. Put some mayo in a bowl, finely chop the anchovies and mix together well. Slice the four buns in half and toast in another frying pan (both sides). Once toasted, remove from the pan, spread mayo mixture on the bottom half of the buns then add the rocket and tomatoes.
HANDY TIP:
When the burgers are nearly done place the cheese on top of the burgers then get four bowls small enough to just fit over the burgers individually while still cooking, this melts the cheese via steam from the heat
Once the cheese has melted, place the burgers on buns and serve....best served with my chunky chips!!!
Photo's by Rach Grice
