Crafts and Life

Ingredients

900g beef, cut into 5 cm cubes
2 level tablespoon of seasoned flour
75g butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
110g carrots, sliced thickly
50g turnips, cut into small chunks
50g celery, chopped
a good grating of nutmeg
1 quarter teaspoon powdered All-spice
1 bottle of Guinness (1 pint or 500 ml)
salt and freshly milled black pepper
grated zest and juice of two oranges

to serve – freshly chopped parsley

Method

Pre-heat oven to gas mark 1/2, 250 F, 130 C.

Begin by putting 25g butter in a casserole (suitable for transfer to the oven) and over a gentle heat sweat the onion and garlic in it for about 10 minutes.  Heat a frying pan and add another 25g of butter.

Meanwhile, toss the cubes of meat in the seasoned flour and brown them a few at a time in the frying pan in the hot butter, transferring them into the casserole to join the onions and the garlic.  When the meat is all in, do the same with the vegetables, adding a little more butter if you need to, browning them just a little at the corners and edges.

When they are all in the casserole, sprinkle in the spices, some salt and freshly milled black pepper and pour in the Guinness – it will seem a little too much, but don't worry, the long, slow cooking will take care of it all.  Next, bring it up to simmering point, then transfer it to the pre-heated oven, where you can happily abandon it for 6 hours.

After that, stir in the grated zest and juice of the oranges and allow it to cool.  The next day re-heat it in a pre-heated oven gas mark 2, 300 F, 150 C, for about 45 minutes.  Serve with some creamy mashed potatoes, which will make a good contrast to the rich dark sauce, and sprinkle with some freshly chopped parsley.

Serves 4-6 – taken from The Food Aid Cookery Book (edited by Delia Smith)