Crispy shredded beef

Crispy shredded beef

serves 4
ingredients 2 eggs
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons plain flour 350g/12oz beef rump steak, cut
into thin strips vegetable oil for deep-frying 2 carrots, finely shredded
2 spring onions, thinly shredded
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
3 small fresh red chillies, seeded and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoons beef stock
1 teaspoon cornflour
•Beat the eggs in a bowl with the salt and flour, adding a little water if necessary to make a batter.
•Add the beef to the batter, and mix well until coated.
•Heat a wok over a high heat, then add the oil and heat until smoking. Add the beef and deep-fry for 5 minutes, stirring to separate the strips. Remove with a slotted spoon, and drain on kitchen paper.
•Add the carrots to the wok, and deep-fry to about 1–11⁄2 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
•Pour off the excess oil, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the wok. Add the spring onions, garlic, chillies and deep-fried carrots, and stir-fry for
1 minute. Add the sugar, vinegar, soy sauce and stock to the wok, and bring to the boil. Stir in the cornflour, and simmer for a few minutes to thicken the sauce.
•Return the beef to the wok, and stir until well coated with the sauce. Serve immediately.

Beef Wellington

serves 8
ingredients
1.6kg/31⁄2lb beef fillet, larded and tied with string
350g/12oz mushrooms, finely chopped
50g/2oz butter
225g/8oz pâté de foie gras
450g/1lb puff pastry
1 egg white, whisked lightly
1 large egg yolk, beaten with
1 teaspoon water
125ml/4fl oz Madeira
2 teaspoons arrowroot, dissolved in
1 tablespoon cold water
125ml/4fl oz beef stock
2 tablespoons finely chopped
black truffles
salt and freshly ground
black pepper.
•Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. In a roasting tin, roast the beef in the middle of the oven for 25–30 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the beef to cool completely, then discard the larding fat and strings. Skim the fat from the pan juices; reserve the juices.
•In a heavy frying pan, cook the mushrooms in butter over a medium-low heat, stirring, until all liquid has evaporated and the mixture is dry. Season with salt and pepper and allow to cool completely.
•Spread the beef evenly with the foie gras, covering the top and sides, and spread the mushrooms evenly over the foie gras.
•On a floured work surface, roll the puff pastry into a rectangle of about 50cm/20in x 30.5cm/12in or large enough to enclose the beef completely. Invert the beef in the middle of the pastry, and fold up the long sides to enclose it, brushing the edges of the pastry with some egg white to seal. Fold the ends of the pastry over the beef; seal with the egg white.
•Transfer the beef, seam side down, to a baking tin, and brush the pastry with the egg yolk wash. Chill for at least 1 hour.
•Preheat the oven 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6. Bake the fillet in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4, and bake for a further 5–10 minutes until the pastry is cooked through. Leave to stand for 15 minutes.
•In a saucepan, boil the reserved pan juices and the Madeira until the mixture is reduced by a quarter. Add the arrowroot mixture, stock and truffles. Season with salt and pepper. Cook the sauce over a medium heat, stirring, for 5 minutes or until thickened, being careful not to let it boil. Serve the beef cut into thick slices, accompanied by the sauce.

Beef stroganoff

serves 4
ingredients
15g/1/2oz dried porcini mushrooms 2 tablespoons olive oil
100g/4oz shallots, sliced 175g/6oz chestnut mushrooms 350g/12oz beef fillet, cut into
5mm/1⁄4in slices)
1⁄2 teaspoon Dijon mustard 75ml/3fl oz double cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper
•Put the porcini mushrooms in a bowl, cover with hot water and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid, and chop the porcini. Sieve the soaking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and reserve.
•Heat half the oil in a large frying pan. Add the shallots, and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the porcini, reserved soaking water and chestnut mushrooms. Cook, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes or until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, then transfer the mixture to a plate.
•Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan, add the beef (in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan) and cook, stirring frequently, for 4 minutes or until browned. Return the mushroom mixture to the frying pan, and season with salt and pepper.
•Put the mustard and cream in a small bowl and stir to mix, then fold into the mixture. Heat through and serve.

Chilli beef in tortillas

serves 6–8
ingredients For the tortillas 850g/13⁄4lb plain flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the filling
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chilli powder
1 teaspoon paprika 850g/13⁄4lb minced beef
1 green pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed 50g/2oz tomato purée
•To make the tortillas, mix the flour and baking powder with the salt. Mix in the oil using a fork, then add enough lukewarm water to enable you to gather the dough into a ball with your hands. Knead lightly to smooth, then leave covered in the bowl for at least 20 minutes.
•Divide the dough into 24 balls, and roll out each one on a lightly floured surface into a thin pancake, or tortilla.
•Heat a non-stick frying pan without any oil, and cook each tortilla until the top surface bubbles up. Puncture the blisters and turn to cook the other side. Wrap the tortillas in a clean cloth to keep warm.
•Meanwhile, to make the filling, heat the oil and sweat the onion gently with the oregano, cumin, chilli powder and paprika until the onion is just soft. Add the beef, green pepper and garlic, and stir gently using a wooden spoon until the meat changes colour and breaks into granules.
•Put the tomato purée into a bowl, and mix with its own volume of cold water. Stir into the meat and cook, covered, for about 10 minutes. Serve hot with the warm tortillas.