Denise says:
Winter dining is the time for warming comfort food, and stews packed with fresh vegetables are perfect for this time of year. I have used cubed chuck steak, which are economical cuts of beef and are also straightforward to serve. I am cooking this on the hob but it can also be cooked in a slow cooker or transferred into an ovenware dish and cooked on a low light (170 C/ 300F)
The beef is seasoned with rosemary, thyme, garlic, red wine, orange zest, star anise, bay leaves and cumin so with slow gently cooking all this flavours permeate into the meat beautifully. To get the best flavour beef use aged beef which means it is aleast 10 days old. Provided it is vacuum packed and remains properly sealed, the beef can be stored in a fridge for a further week. Silvermans butcher have a good selection which is one of their specialities.
Preparation Time: 25 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 ½ hours
Serves: 8 people
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil2 kg cubed chuck steak
3 onions – peeled and finely chopped
2 carrots – peeled and finely chopped
3 sticks celery – trimmed and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic – peeled and crushed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
300ml red wine
Zest of 1 orange
1 star anise
3 bay leaves
1.5 litres chicken stock
2 teaspoons dried cumin
Garnish
3 tablespoons black olive paste
3 tablespoons fresh flat parsley leaves
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 oranges – cut into slices
Serve with wilted spinach and pasta ( e.g. penne, fusilli )
Method
1)Heat the olive oil in a deep saucepan and sauté the beef in batches until browned. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery over a low heat until soft.2)Stir in the tomato paste, rosemary, thyme, red wine, orange zest, star anise, bay leaves, cumin, and chicken stock. Season to taste and bring to the boil.
3)Cover and reduce the heat to a low light and cook for 2 hours or until the beef is very tender.
4)Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Drain and return to the saucepan. Stir in the spinach and cook for 1 minutes over a low heat until the spinach starts to wilt.
To serve: Place a generous helping of pasta and spinach on a warmed plate. Spoon a teaspoon of olive paste, a couple of sprigs of parsley and a few slices or orange.