Beef goulash

Beef goulash

serves 4

ingredients

450g/1lb stewing beef, cubed 1 onion, chopped

2 teaspoons sunflower oil 175ml/6fl oz beer 175ml/6fl oz water 50ml/2fl oz tomato purée 1 tablespoon paprika

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

1⁄4 teaspoon caraway seeds 450g/1lb potatoes 225g/8oz canned sauerkraut 2 tablespoons snipped fresh

flat-leaf parsley

•In a frying pan, cook the beef and onion in the oil until the beef is brown. Add the beer, water, tomato purée, paprika, salt and caraway seeds. Cover and simmer for 11⁄4–11⁄2 hours.

•Add the potatoes, undrained sauerkraut and parsley to the pan. Cook, covered, for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Remove the lid from the pan and cook, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes or until the mixture is thickened and most of the liquid has evaporated.

•Serve hot with rice.

Beef fajitas

serves 4

ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, cut into strips

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon Mexican chilli powder 450g/1lb minced beef

75g/3oz ready-prepared salsa

1 red pepper, seeded and chopped

1 green pepper, seeded and chopped

1 courgette, thinly sliced

4 x 25cm/10in flour tortillas

salt and freshly ground black pepper

•Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

•In a non-stick frying pan, heat the oil over a medium-high heat. Cook the onion, garlic, chilli powder and seasoning, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the onion is softened.

•Add the beef and salsa, and cook, breaking up the beef with the back of a spoon, for about 3 minutes until the beef is no longer pink. Add the peppers and courgette, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the liquid has evaporated.

•Meanwhile, wrap the tortillas in foil and heat in the oven for 5 minutes or until warmed through.

•Divide the beef mixture among the tortillas, and roll up. Serve the fajitas immediately while still piping hot.

Orange beef with green peppers

serves 6

ingredients

700g/11⁄2lb flank steak 175ml/6fl oz orange juice

3 tablespoons light soy sauce

2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

11⁄2 tablespoons orange zest

2 garlic cloves (crushed)

11⁄2 teaspoons curry powder

1⁄2 teaspoon red wine vinegar

1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 green peppers, cut into 1cm/1⁄2in wide strips

•Diagonally cut the beef, against the grain, into slices 1cm/1⁄2in thick.

•In a bowl, combine the orange juice, soy sauce, peanut butter, orange zest, garlic, curry, vinegar and red pepper flakes. Stir to blend. Add the beef and toss to coat evenly. Cover and set aside to marinate for

2 hours at room temperature.

•Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan or wok over a high heat. Add the marinated beef mixture. Stir-fry for 2 minutes. Remove the beef with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.

•Add the green peppers to the pan, then stir-fry for about 5 minutes until the peppers are browned around the edges.

•Return the beef to the pan, and stir-fry for a further 1 minute to heat through. Serve hot.

Spiced beef & onions

serves 4

ingredients 50ml/2fl oz olive oil 700g/11⁄2lb baby onions

900g/2lb chuck steak, trimmed and cut into bite-size cubes

3 garlic cloves, halved lengthways 125ml/4fl oz red wine

1 cinnamon stick

4cloves

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons tomato purée 375ml/13fl oz water

2 tablespoons currants

salt and freshly ground black pepper

•Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large heavy saucepan. Add the onions and sauté, stirring, for 5 minutes or until golden. Remove from the pan and drain on kitchen paper.

•Add the meat to the pan, and stir over a high heat for 10 minutes or until the meat is well browned and almost all the liquid has evaporated.

•Add the garlic, wine, spices, bay leaf, vinegar and tomato purée. Season with salt and pepper. Pour 375ml/13fl oz water into the pan, and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

•Return the onions to the saucepan, add the currants and stir gently. Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Discard the cinnamon before serving.

Thai beef curry

serves 4

ingredients

1 tablespoon tamarind pulp

2 tablespoons vegetable oil 700g/11⁄2lb stewing beef (cubed) 500ml/18fl oz coconut milk

4 cardamom pods, bruised 500ml/18fl oz coconut cream 2 tablespoons curry paste

2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce

8 pickling onions

8 baby potatoes

2 tablespoons granulated sugar 75g/3oz unsalted peanuts, roasted

and ground

•Put the tamarind pulp and 125ml/4fl oz boiling water in a bowl, and set aside to cool. Mash the pulp with your fingertips to dissolve it, then strain and reserve the liquid, discarding the pulp.

•Heat a non-stick wok over a high heat, add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the beef in batches, and stir-fry over a high heat for 5 minutes for each batch or until browned all over. Reduce the heat, add the coconut milk and cardamom pods, and simmer for 1 hour or until the beef is tender. Remove the beef from the wok, then strain the cooking liquid into a bowl and keep to one side.

•Heat the coconut cream in the wok, and stir in the curry paste. Cook for 10 minutes or until the oil starts to separate from the cream. Add the fish sauce, onions, potatoes, beef mixture, sugar, peanuts, tamarind water and the reserved cooking liquid. Simmer for 25–30 minutes until the meat is tender. Serve hot.

Fillet of beef with porcini & sweet peppers

serves 8

ingredients  

1.4kg/3lb trimmed beef fillet

25g/1oz dried porcini mushrooms,

soaked and drained

250g/9oz jar sliced red and

yellow peppers in oil, drained

375g/13oz pancetta slices

2 teaspoons plain flour

150ml/5fl oz Italian red wine

300ml/10fl oz beef stock

2 tablespoons Marsala

2 teaspoons dried mixed herbs

salt and freshly ground

black pepper

•Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas mark 5.

•Cut a slit along the side of the fillet, keeping both ends attached. Open it out with your fingers a little, to make a pocket.

•Roughly chop the porcini, reserving half for the sauce. Mix the remainder with half of the peppers, and use to fill the pocket in the beef. Grind black pepper over the meat, then wrap the pancetta around the fillet to enclose it completely. Tie with string at regular intervals.

•Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add the meat and sear on all sides. Lift the fillet out of the oil, draining over the pan. Reserve the juices in the pan for the sauce.

•Transfer the fillet to a roasting tin, and roast in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven, cover with foil and leave to rest in a warm place for 10–15 minutes.

•Meanwhile, reheat the reserved juices in the frying pan, sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, over a medium heat for 2–3 minutes. Gradually stir in the red wine and the stock, then bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce the heat and add the Marsala and mixed herbs. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer until thickened, stirring constantly.

•Add the remaining peppers and porcini, and heat through.

•Remove the string from the beef fillet and carve the meat into neat slices. Using a slotted spoon, remove the peppers and onions from the sauce and use to garnish the meat. Serve immediately, drizzled with the sauce.