Recipes for Stews and Casseroles

Beer and beef stew

Low tech old favourite. 90 mins, Serves 2

6 OZ DEXTER Beef Braising steak
1 OZ plain white Flour
4 Slices Bacon (smoked streaky)
4 OZ Shallots
Large Slurp Olive oil

Lots of resh Thyme
5 Garlic cloves
1 can of lager
1 Bouquet Garni
1 beef Stock cube

Take some cubed beef and roll in flour. Gently fry the bacon and shallots in olive oil until shallots are translucent. Add a large quantity of fresh chopped thyme and chopped garlic. After a minute so turn up the heat and bung in your floured beef. When the flour has browned chuck a can of lager over the lot and reduce a bit.
Get out a casserole and bung the whole lot in with a bouquet garni and a stock cube. Cook at gas mark 5/190C for around an hour.

Borsch version 1

45 mins, Serves 6+

2.5 LB DEXTER Beef Braising steak
2 Carrots
2 Celery stalks
2 large Onions
2 Bay leaves
9 Beetroot fresh
Half a white Cabbage

0.5 OZ Pepper
1 Fluid OZ red wine Vinegar
1 small tin chopped Tomatoes
2 Slurps Vegetable Oil
2 OZ plain white flour
4 OZ soured Cream
Pinch or 4 Salt
6 new Potatoes

Roughly chop the carrot, celery, onions and cabbage. Starting with 9-10 cups boiling water in a large pan, add the meat and a ham bone if available. Add bay leaves, sliced cabbage, pepper. Simmer. Gently brown the onions, carrots and celery in half the oil, then add them to the simmering soup. Peel the beetroot, cut into julienne strips (this is hard work - we tend to make things easier for ourselves by cutting one or two beetroot into strips and grating the rest using the food processor). Simmer beetroot in another pot with the vinegar, the remaining oil and just enough water to cover.
After about 20 mins, when the beetroot is tender, add the flour and stir to incorporate well. Combine with the (meat) stock, which is ready when the meat is tender. (If you have used a hambone, this will be quicker than if you've used raw meat.)
Separately, boil the potatoes. Add chopped tomatoes to the meat stock and boil fast for 8-10 minutes. Remove the meat, cut into bite-sized chunks and return to the soup. Serve with a boiled potato in each bowl and good dollop of soured cream floating on top.

Borsch version 2

60 mins, Serves 6+

2.5 LB DEXTER Beef Braising steak
9 Beetroot fresh
2 Stock cube vegetable
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 Slurp Tomato puree
2 large Onions
2 Celery stalks
Half a white Cabbage

2 Carrots
2 Slurp Vinegar red wine
Pinch Salt
2 Pinches balck Pepper
6 new Potatoes
4 OZ Cream soured
4 Fluid OZ Vegetable Oil
2 Stock cube vegetable

Peel beetroot, then grate all but one of them. Rough chop all the other vegetables. Fry the grated beetroot in oil for at least 20 mins, stirring, till soft. Slice the reserved beetroot into julienne strips and set aside.
Add enough vegetable stock to cover the grated beetroot. Stew gently another 20-30 mins. When well cooked, strain into a bowl, squeezing the beetroot against the sides of the strainer to make sure that you extract every possible drop of the beautiful ruby- coloured juice. Throw away the spent grated beetroot.
In a large frying pan, fry together the julienne strips of beetroot with a tin of chopped tomatoes, the tomato pur�e and the chopped vegetables - you can even add leftover baked beans if you like! When the veg are cooked and slightly golden, pour the beetroot and stock mixture over them. Season with vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with a boiled potato in each bowl, and sour cream floating on top.

Old fashioned Braised Beef

This is a REAL filler !! Time, about 10 Hours, Serves 4 or more

4lbs/2Kg DEXTER braising steak
2 Large Onions
Lots of ordinary Olive oil
1 Garlic bulb
Lots of small Mushrooms

Lots of Carrots
1 Slurp of cooking Brandy
1 Pinch Sea Salt
1 Pinch fresh black Pepper
1 Bouquet Garni
1 Bottle Wine red good!

Brown the Dexter in an ancient and well loved Le Creuset cast iron casserole (bought about 25 years ago for (boggle) about �40, I think it was called a "Mama"), and remove to a bowl. Get your other half to roughly chop lots of onions, then lightly saute them (not the OH) in the meat juices (aided and abetted by some decent olive oil. A glass of wine (for the cook) wouldn't go amiss at this point).
Then persuade the OH to chop several cloves of garlic ("lots" is about right), and when he's done that, pass him a big bag of mushrooms to slice. Make sure he keeps the garlic separate from the mushrooms. A beer for the OH works well at this point. Slice a few carrots (or several - whatever you've got) while he's doing that, and find another big bowl for the veg. Tip the sliced carrots and the mushrooms into the separate bowl. Look at the cast iron casserole dish, mentally attempt to fit the meat and veg in said dish, and find a second dish. Put /this/ casserole dish to one side (you never know - you might not need it ..) Mild panic is optional at this point.
Keep sauteing the onions, in the hope they'll reduce; they won't, but it'll buy you time (you can use this time to pour another glass of wine, if you like). When you realise that it won't help, volume-wise, remove them to the bowl containing the carrots and mushrooms (remember this?).
Throw the finely chopped garlic into the original casserole, and add some more decent olive oil. Soften the garlic in the oil, and remove to the veggy bowl. Then deglaze the casserole dish with (some) red wine. Fling in some cooking brandy for good measure, and bring to the boil. Don't sniff the liquid now - you'll get a blast of cheap brandy fumes up your nose; fine if you've got sinus trouble, but otherwise not good. When you've recovered from sniffing it (you _will_ sniff it - we *know* you will), let it reduce, and pour into a jug.
Split the meat between the two casserole containers, stir the contents of the veggy bowl and layer on top of the meat, then sprinkle some sea salt and coarse ground black pepper on the resulting mess. Look at the jug, and add some water. Then split the contents of the jug between the two dishes. Bring the first one to the boil, add a bouquet garni, and put in the oven (preheated (if that's the word) to Gas Mark 1 - this is going to cook overnight). Then bring the second one to the boil, realise that it needs more liquid, cos it's a different shape, and lob some vegetable stock in.
Squeeze the second dish into the oven beside the first one. Take it out, and add the bouquet garni. Return to oven.
Now, suffer for several hours until it's done its first ooking. Tomorrow, we'll leave it to stand for at least 8 hours, then reheat it.
A handy tip - eat *before* you do this. You won't be able to touch a thing while it's cooking. I expect beef casserole is quite nice for breakfast ...

Marrakesh Tagine

4 HOURS, Serves 4+

1 large Onion
500 Gram DEXTER Beef Braising steak
25 Gram plain white Flour
1 Bottle Beer (cheap bitter)
2 Turnips

500 Gram Ox kidney
250 Gram dried Prunes
1 large Orange
Pinch Salt
Pinch black Pepper

Chop the beef into one inch cubes and roughly chop the onion. Lightly fry the onion and add the beef. As it browns, sprinkle in a couple of tbs of flour. Stir well, and when it starts to crackle, add about 2/3rds of the bottle of beer, till the meat is covered.
Peel and cube the turnips. (These are the white fist-sized veg that are "turnips" in England and unavailable, so far as I can establish, in Scotland, NOT the large orange veg that are "turnips" in Scotland and "swede" in England.). Add to the pot.
Then Chuck in the ox kidney, after giving the fatty bits to the cats. Add the prunes and the remaining beer. Grate in the zest of an orange then season to taste. Put a lid on and transfer to oven on a low heat. (140^c and fan).
Eat the rest of the orange.
Stir. Have a bath. (Not critical to the recipe, it's just what I did next.) Stir.
I guess the thing was left to stew gently for about three hours all told. Beef nice and tender, sauce well munged, and the turnip's taken up the colour and flavour nicely. You can still taste the orange zest but can't see it as a separate item any more. We had it with boiled spuds and some savoy cabbage. However, the sauce is quite sweet, and I guess it could stand to have a more "tart" vegetable to offset it. Pickled red cabbage maybe.

Beer and beef stew	Low tech old favourite. 90 mins, Serves 2
	6 OZ DEXTER Beef Braising steak 1 OZ plain white Flour 4 Slices Bacon (smoked streaky) 4 OZ Shallots Large Slurp Olive oil	Lots of resh Thyme 5 Garlic cloves 1 can of lager 1 Bouquet Garni 1 beef Stock cube
	Take some cubed beef and roll in flour. Gently fry the bacon and shallots in olive oil until shallots are translucent. Add a large quantity of fresh chopped thyme and chopped garlic. After a minute so turn up the heat and bung in your floured beef. When the flour has browned chuck a can of lager over the lot and reduce a bit. Get out a casserole and bung the whole lot in with a bouquet garni and a stock cube. Cook at gas mark 5/190C for around an hour.
Borsch version 1	45 mins, Serves 6+
	2.5 LB DEXTER Beef Braising steak 2 Carrots 2 Celery stalks 2 large Onions 2 Bay leaves 9 Beetroot fresh Half a white Cabbage	0.5 OZ Pepper 1 Fluid OZ red wine Vinegar 1 small tin chopped Tomatoes 2 Slurps Vegetable Oil 2 OZ plain white flour 4 OZ soured Cream Pinch or 4 Salt 6 new Potatoes
	Roughly chop the carrot, celery, onions and cabbage. Starting with 9-10 cups boiling water in a large pan, add the meat and a ham bone if available. Add bay leaves, sliced cabbage, pepper. Simmer. Gently brown the onions, carrots and celery in half the oil, then add them to the simmering soup. Peel the beetroot, cut into julienne strips (this is hard work - we tend to make things easier for ourselves by cutting one or two beetroot into strips and grating the rest using the food processor). Simmer beetroot in another pot with the vinegar, the remaining oil and just enough water to cover. After about 20 mins, when the beetroot is tender, add the flour and stir to incorporate well. Combine with the (meat) stock, which is ready when the meat is tender. (If you have used a hambone, this will be quicker than if you've used raw meat.) Separately, boil the potatoes. Add chopped tomatoes to the meat stock and boil fast for 8-10 minutes. Remove the meat, cut into bite-sized chunks and return to the soup. Serve with a boiled potato in each bowl and good dollop of soured cream floating on top.
Borsch version 2	60 mins, Serves 6+
	2.5 LB DEXTER Beef Braising steak 9 Beetroot fresh 2 Stock cube vegetable 1 tin chopped tomatoes 1 Slurp Tomato puree 2 large Onions 2 Celery stalks Half a white Cabbage	2 Carrots 2 Slurp Vinegar red wine Pinch Salt 2 Pinches balck Pepper 6 new Potatoes 4 OZ Cream soured 4 Fluid OZ Vegetable Oil 2 Stock cube vegetable
	Peel beetroot, then grate all but one of them. Rough chop all the other vegetables. Fry the grated beetroot in oil for at least 20 mins, stirring, till soft. Slice the reserved beetroot into julienne strips and set aside. Add enough vegetable stock to cover the grated beetroot. Stew gently another 20-30 mins. When well cooked, strain into a bowl, squeezing the beetroot against the sides of the strainer to make sure that you extract every possible drop of the beautiful ruby- coloured juice. Throw away the spent grated beetroot. In a large frying pan, fry together the julienne strips of beetroot with a tin of chopped tomatoes, the tomato pur�e and the chopped vegetables - you can even add leftover baked beans if you like! When the veg are cooked and slightly golden, pour the beetroot and stock mixture over them. Season with vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a boiled potato in each bowl, and sour cream floating on top.
Old fashioned Braised Beef	This is a REAL filler !! Time, about 10 Hours, Serves 4 or more
	4lbs/2Kg DEXTER braising steak 2 Large Onions Lots of ordinary Olive oil 1 Garlic bulb Lots of small Mushrooms	Lots of Carrots 1 Slurp of cooking Brandy 1 Pinch Sea Salt 1 Pinch fresh black Pepper 1 Bouquet Garni 1 Bottle Wine red good!
	Brown the Dexter in an ancient and well loved Le Creuset cast iron casserole (bought about 25 years ago for (boggle) about �40, I think it was called a "Mama"), and remove to a bowl. Get your other half to roughly chop lots of onions, then lightly saute them (not the OH) in the meat juices (aided and abetted by some decent olive oil. A glass of wine (for the cook) wouldn't go amiss at this point). Then persuade the OH to chop several cloves of garlic ("lots" is about right), and when he's done that, pass him a big bag of mushrooms to slice. Make sure he keeps the garlic separate from the mushrooms. A beer for the OH works well at this point. Slice a few carrots (or several - whatever you've got) while he's doing that, and find another big bowl for the veg. Tip the sliced carrots and the mushrooms into the separate bowl. Look at the cast iron casserole dish, mentally attempt to fit the meat and veg in said dish, and find a second dish. Put /this/ casserole dish to one side (you never know - you might not need it ..) Mild panic is optional at this point. Keep sauteing the onions, in the hope they'll reduce; they won't, but it'll buy you time (you can use this time to pour another glass of wine, if you like). When you realise that it won't help, volume-wise, remove them to the bowl containing the carrots and mushrooms (remember this?). Throw the finely chopped garlic into the original casserole, and add some more decent olive oil. Soften the garlic in the oil, and remove to the veggy bowl. Then deglaze the casserole dish with (some) red wine. Fling in some cooking brandy for good measure, and bring to the boil. Don't sniff the liquid now - you'll get a blast of cheap brandy fumes up your nose; fine if you've got sinus trouble, but otherwise not good. When you've recovered from sniffing it (you _will_ sniff it - we know you will), let it reduce, and pour into a jug. Split the meat between the two casserole containers, stir the contents of the veggy bowl and layer on top of the meat, then sprinkle some sea salt and coarse ground black pepper on the resulting mess. Look at the jug, and add some water. Then split the contents of the jug between the two dishes. Bring the first one to the boil, add a bouquet garni, and put in the oven (preheated (if that's the word) to Gas Mark 1 - this is going to cook overnight). Then bring the second one to the boil, realise that it needs more liquid, cos it's a different shape, and lob some vegetable stock in. Squeeze the second dish into the oven beside the first one. Take it out, and add the bouquet garni. Return to oven. Now, suffer for several hours until it's done its first ooking. Tomorrow, we'll leave it to stand for at least 8 hours, then reheat it. A handy tip - eat before you do this. You won't be able to touch a thing while it's cooking. I expect beef casserole is quite nice for breakfast ...
Marrakesh Tagine	4 HOURS, Serves 4+
	1 large Onion 500 Gram DEXTER Beef Braising steak 25 Gram plain white Flour 1 Bottle Beer (cheap bitter) 2 Turnips	500 Gram Ox kidney 250 Gram dried Prunes 1 large Orange Pinch Salt Pinch black Pepper
	Chop the beef into one inch cubes and roughly chop the onion. Lightly fry the onion and add the beef. As it browns, sprinkle in a couple of tbs of flour. Stir well, and when it starts to crackle, add about 2/3rds of the bottle of beer, till the meat is covered. Peel and cube the turnips. (These are the white fist-sized veg that are "turnips" in England and unavailable, so far as I can establish, in Scotland, NOT the large orange veg that are "turnips" in Scotland and "swede" in England.). Add to the pot. Then Chuck in the ox kidney, after giving the fatty bits to the cats. Add the prunes and the remaining beer. Grate in the zest of an orange then season to taste. Put a lid on and transfer to oven on a low heat. (140^c and fan). Eat the rest of the orange. Stir. Have a bath. (Not critical to the recipe, it's just what I did next.) Stir. I guess the thing was left to stew gently for about three hours all told. Beef nice and tender, sauce well munged, and the turnip's taken up the colour and flavour nicely. You can still taste the orange zest but can't see it as a separate item any more. We had it with boiled spuds and some savoy cabbage. However, the sauce is quite sweet, and I guess it could stand to have a more "tart" vegetable to offset it. Pickled red cabbage maybe.