Make this spiced beef casserole a couple of days in advance. Ideal for a get together, such as New Year’s Eve, serve with mash and buttered savoy cabbage
Prep:15 mins
Serves 6
1.4kg braising beef, cut into 2.5cm pieces3½ tbsp vegetable oil1 onion, finely chopped½ tsp ground allspicea pinch of ground cloves1 cinnamon stick10 juniper berries, crushedgrating of nutmeg200ml stout500ml beef stock275g carrots (about 2 large), cut into chunks3 tsp muscovado sugar2 bay leaves125g pitted prunes, roughly chopped125g small baby onions1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
STEP 1Pat the beef dry using kitchen paper. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large flameproof casserole, and fry the beef in batches over a high heat until browned on all sides. Transfer the browned batches to a bowl using a slotted spoon as you continue frying the remainder.STEP 2When all the meat is browned, heat another 1 tbsp oil in the casserole, and fry the onion for 12 mins until soft and pale golden. Stir in the allspice, cloves, cinnamon stick, juniper berries, and a generous grating of nutmeg.STEP 3Pour in the stout and cook over a medium heat until it has reduced by half. Stir in the stock, carrots, sugar, bay leaves and some seasoning. Return the browned meat to the pan, and bring the mixture the boil. When it’s boiling, immediately reduce the heat to low and cover. Cook for 1 hr 30 mins, stirring and checking the seasoning every so often. In the last 20 mins of cooking time, stir in the prunes (if you do this any sooner, the prunes will fall apart).STEP 4Meanwhile, peel the baby onions and fry these in a small frying pan in the remaining oil over a medium-low heat until golden on the outside and soft in the middle (you may need to add a little stock or water to the pan to help them soften, if they’re slightly bigger). The baby onions should be tender, but not falling apart. Stir these into the braise, check the seasoning again, and scatter over the chopped parsley before serving.
