This is a deliciously different recipe for beef – and the best bit is that it is extremely quick & easy. If you were cooking this in a traditional method (a la Julia Child for example), you’d have to use 3 or 4 saucepans. This way you just use one pot – preferably a cast iron casserole – and the results are just as good. It’s an ideal weekend dish – quick to prepare then into the oven for as long as possible. Ideal for Rayburn/Aga type cookers too…

Ingredients:

400g diced beef (stewing or braising) {Waitrose do 3 packs for £10]

1 tablespoon cooking oil

2 tablespoons plain flour

4 onions

200g mushrooms

1 red pepper

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon chopped chilli

1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon curry paste

2 tablespoons sweet chutney

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 brown stock cube dissolved in 250ml boiling water

Heat oven to 220 degrees C (or use top oven of Aga/Rayburn – floor of top oven works well). Chop onions, pepper & mushrooms, put in cooking pot & drizzle with the oil. Put in oven (without lid) for 30 mins. Add beef and cook for further 20 mins. Remove from oven & sprinkle with the flour & return to the oven for 10 minutes. Stir/shake & cook for further 5 minutes.

Add all other ingredients, stir & return to oven for an hour. Turn the heat down to 150 degrees c & cook for a further 1-2 hours (or transfer to bottom oven of Aga & cook for further 2-3 hours).

A glass of red wine is an optional addition – or drink it while you’re waiting for it to cook…