Try 5 awesome beef recipes

• 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.

• 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.

• 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

• 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.

• 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.