Celebrate Great British Beef Week with some killer beef recipes

Try 5 awesome beef recipes to kick off Great British Beef Week (GBBW), 23-30 April.

Great British Beef Week is in it’s 11th year and organised by Ladies in Beef.

This year GBBW is focusing on highlighting the work British beef farmers do to support sustainable production practices on their farms. 

British beef continues to be amongst the most sustainable in the world.

So it’s worth seeking out the best British beef when you buy and making sure we all continue to support sustainable farming.

What is sustainable farming?

In a nutshell…

It includes farming regeneratively, improving grasslands and paddock grazing, planting trees, maintaining wildflowers for the bee population, or harvesting and giving cattle rainwater to drink.

British beefs production carbon footprint is just less than half the global average due to the work on sustainable farming practices.

So when you check out some of my favourite recipes, below, make sure it’s with the best of British beef… and enjoy.

(and if you want more ideas, visit, here)

5 awesome beef recipes

Beef shin and ale ragù

A slow cooked beef shin which is great for crowds or freezing for family meals.

Beef shin and ale ragù

A slow cooked beef shin which is great for crowds or freezing for family meals.
Course Main Course
Keyword crowd pleaser, family meals
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 30 minutes
Servings 10 people
Cost ££

Equipment

  • Casserole dish

Ingredients

  • 3-4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 kg higher-welfare British beef shin slices
  • 40 g butter
  • 500 g soffritto mix or you can just do a mirepoix – see TIPS
  • 5 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 4 tbsp tomato paste
  • 3 anchovy fillets in olive oil, chopped
  • 1 tbsp English mustard
  • 750 ml dark ale I used La Debauche Big Boy stout
  • 2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
  • 1 litre good-quality beef stock
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

Serve with…

  • Mashed potatoes or cooked pappardelle pasta

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4.
    Heat a little oil in the casserole over a medium-high heat. Season the beef, then add to the casserole in batches. Fry until golden all over then remove and place on a plate.
  • Deglaze the pan by adding a good splash of water and scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to release any stuck-on bits, then pour into a jug and set aside.
    Heat the remaining oil and butter in the pan, then add the soffritto mix and the garlic with a pinch of salt.
    Cook over a medium heat for 10-15 minutes until softened and starting to colour.
  • Add the tomato paste, anchovies and mustard and stir.
    Pour in the ale and bubble for 4-5 minutes, then add the chopped tomatoes, beef stock and reserved deglazing mixture.
  • Return the meat to the pan, stir, then bring to a simmer.
    Cover and put in the oven to cook for 3 hours.
  • After 3 hours, remove the lid, stir, then cook uncovered for 1-1½ hours more until the meat is fall-apart tender.
  • Remove the meat from the sauce (or I did it in the casserole dish), shred using 2 forks, discarding any cartilage that hasn’t melted.
    Put the pan over a medium heat and bubble gently for 15 minutes to reduce.
    Return the meat to the pan (if you removed it), stir in the Worcestershire sauce, then taste and season.
  • Serve with mash or stirred into pasta, topped with parsley.

Notes

Spicy Thai beef salad

Perfect for Spring cooking.

Spicy Thai Beef Salad

Course Main Course, Salad
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4 people
Cost £

Ingredients

  • 250 g egg noodles Optional. I do this as a side for hungry growing teenagers
  • 4 minute steaks, sliced thinly (locally sourced where possible)

Steak marinade

  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp ginger, grated
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbsp oil

Dressing

  • 1 juice of lime
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed or grated

Salad

  • handful of mint, chopped
  • 1 carrot, grated
  • 1 cucumber, grated
  • 400 g bean sprouts
  • handful of peanuts, crushed
  • 1 red chilli chopped
  • half a handful of coriander, chopped

Instructions

  • Steak marinade: In a wide bowl, mix the fish sauce, ginger, garlic, soy and rice vinegar with the 2 tsp of brown sugar.
    Place the steaks in and leave to marinade for approx 20 minutes or while you are doing the other prep.
  • Optional noodles: Cook noodles as per packet instructions. Then set aside.
  • Salad prep: Into a bowl, grate your cucumber and carrot and add the mint and bean sprouts.
    Dressing prep: In a cup or small jug, add the lime juice, garlic, fish sauce and brown sugar and mix well. Taste and make any adjustments if needed.
  • Now, in a frying pan, on a high heat, add some oil and cook the steaks for a couple of minutes on each side (depending on how thick your steaks are).
    Sprinkle a little sea salt over them and leave to rest.
    After 10 minutes, slice the beef into thin slices and add to the salad bowl. Mix all the salad ingredients and beef with the dressing.
  • Serve in individual bowls or on a large platter. Sprinkle some coriander over and some sliced red chilli
    Optional noodles: if serving these as well, cut the noodles so they are shorter and then lightly fry in the pan and serve in a bowl for everyone to help themselves to.

Beef stroganoff

Easy beef dish but with a bit of luxury.

Beef stroganoff

Easy beef dish perfect for families and midweek meals
Course Main Course
Keyword crowd pleaser, family meals, midweek meal
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4 people
Cost ££

Ingredients

  • 600 g beef fillet or sirloin
  • 25 g butter
  • 250 g button mushrooms or other, slice thinly
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 400 ml beef stock
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp soured cream or creme fraiche (generous tablespoons)
  • 1 tbsp Brandy (optional)
  • 1 squeeze of lemon
  • chopped parsley for garnish
  • sea salt and ground pepper for seasoning
  • serve with pappardelle pasta or rice

Instructions

  • Cut the beef fillet (or sirloin) into 1 cm thick strips and season with salt and pepper, leaving to the side for a few minutes.

The sauce

  • In a large frying pan, heat the butter and add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook until both are soft.
    Stir the mustard into the pan covering everything and then pour the stock into the pan.
    Leave to simmer until the liquid has reduced by about half.
    Stir in the crème fraiche and set the pan aside for a few minutes.

The beef strips

  • In another frying pan, heat the vegetable oil and when it’s hot, add the strips of beef and fry until browned (approx 1 min).
  • (Nb: If you want to flambé the beef, put the brandy in a ladle and carefully heat it over a flame. When the alcohol starts to burn off (you will see the fumes), tip it very gently towards the flame and it will ignite. Immediately pour this over the beef and give it a quick stir.
    Stand well back when doing this and be very careful.)

Assemble the stroganoff

  • Reheat the onion and mushroom sauce and add the beef.
    Check the seasoning and add a squeeze of lemon.
    Then sprinkle with chopped parsley.
  • Serve with pappardelle pasta or rice

Notes

Grandma G’s steak pie

You can’t go wrong with a steak pie… and you definitely can’t go wrong with Grandma G’s 🙂

Grandma G’s steak pie

Course Main Course
Keyword beef, pie, steak pie
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings 4 people
Cost £

Equipment

  • Pie dish

Ingredients

  • 1 kg beef chuck, diced
  • plain flour to dust the chuck with
  • sea salt and cracked pepper
  • 500 ml beef stock (or enough to cover the beef)

Shortcrust pastry

  • 6 tbsp plain flour
  • 3 oz butter, cubed
  • pich of salt
  • water
  • 1 egg, beaten for pie lid wash

Instructions

  • Pre-heat your oven to 150 C/130 C fan.
  • Pat your diced chuck with a paper towels and place in a bowl.
    Add 2 – 3 tablespoons of plain flour, loads of cracked pepper and some sea salt and toss the beef chuck so they are lightly covered.
  • In a casserole dish, on medium heat, add a tablespoon of oil and add the chuck to brown the meat (you may need to do it in batches so as not to overcrowd the dish). This should take approx. 10 mins.
  • Once all the meat is browned off, add it all back into the casserole dish and pout in your beef stock. Make sure it covers the beef so you may need to add a little more stock of water.
    Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the casserole dish to get off all the lovely brown sticky stuff that may have caught the bottom when browning the meat off. This gives flavour.
    Add some more cracked pepper (if you want it peppery).
    Bring to the boil, then pop the lid on, and transfer to the oven for 3 hrs or until your chuck is tender.
  • Once done, take out of the oven and let cool for an hour or longer (Grandma G does the cooking the day before then assembles the pit the next day… this does give it time to deepen in flavour).
  • Once cooled, take your pastry and assembled your pie (we don't blind bake the base, but feel free to).
    Egg wash the lid and pop into the oven for

Shortcrust pastry

  • In a mixer (or use a bowl with cold hands to mix), put the flour and chilled cubed butter and slowly mix until crumb-like, adding a little water until you get a pastry texture (don't add too much).
  • Take the pastry and form it into a ball, then place covered in the fridge for approx 1hr.

Pie assembly

  • Pre-heat oven to 200 C fan / 220 C.
  • After 1 hr (or when chilled), on a flat work surface dusted with plain flour, divide the pastry into 2/3rds for the casing and the final 3rd is the lid.
    Roll out thinly your 2/3rds pastry to the size of the pie dish (approx 20 cm dish). Then roll out your lid.
  • Gently lay your pastry casing into the pie dish and push it into the sides.
    *If you prefer, blind bake the pastry now. We don't as we enjoy the base soaking up the pie juices.
  • Add the cooled beef mix and lay the lid on top and pinch the pastry all the way around to close it.
    Make a small incision in the middle so steam can escape, then white wash with a beaten egg.
  • Bake for 30 mins or until golden.
  • Serve.

Beef taco bake

A great midweek meal to keep those hungry mouths happy.

Beef Taco Bake

Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword beef, easy, traybake
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings 6 people
Cost £

Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • 1 kg beef stewing steak, cut into 2cm chunks
  • 2 red onions, sliced (or I used white)
  • 2 mixed sweet peppers, sliced
  • 2 – 3 tbsp fajita seasoning (or make your own with your spice cupboard) – see blog for recipe
  • 2 tsp chilli flakes (optional)
  • 400 g tinned tomatoes
  • 300 ml l chicken stock or water
  • Juice 2 oranges
  • 200 g tin sweetcorn, drained
  • 3 tortilla wraps, cut into triangles + an extra to place on the rack to toast
  • 50 g cheddar, grated
  • Fresh coriander and lime wedges to serve (optional)

Instructions

  • Heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan.
  • Heat the oil in the casserole dish over high heat.
  • Add the meat, onions and peppers.
  • Fry for 5 mins, then stir in the fajita seasoning and cook for 1 min.
  • Stir in the tomatoes & stock/water.
  • Bring to the boil, then cover the casserole dish & transfer to the oven.
  • Cook for 1½ – 2 hrs, stirring halfway through, until the meat falls apart easily.
  • Remove from the oven & stir, breaking up the meat.
  • Stir in the orange juice & sweetcorn, then top with the tortilla triangles.
  • Scatter with the cheese, return to the oven for 10 mins until the tortilla pieces are golden and the cheese has melted.
    Place the extra triangles in the oven on the rack to toast – keep an eye on them.
    Serve topped with coriander and crush the extra toasted triangles over top.

Notes

Inspired by Delicious Magazine

What are the best cuts of beef for slow cooking?

Check out my post on what the best cuts are for slow-cooking, here

What are the best cuts of beef for slow cooking?
What are the best cuts of beef for slow cooking?