Tasty Advice

I wonder how many people buy a joint of beef that looks the business then find its tough and chewy when cooked. That is exactly what happened to me this Sunday. I know butchers say there is no way of knowing if beef is going to be tough before it’s cooked but it is such a disappointment on the day. Thankfully there was only the two of us for lunch and I was able to rescue it by slicing, cutting out the layer of grizzle and braising it with sliced onions in stock for half an hour before serving.

That left me with the problem of what to do with the other half of the joint. Those that know me will know I never waste food. I think of all those poor people who have nothing to eat and I just can’t do it! So, given the braising success, I decided to make a Beef Hotpot. It was a huge success, even if I do say so myself.

I think the secret of a good Hotpot is to make a really tasty gravy. The meat in this one is already cooked so will not be adding to the flavour so the recipe includes additions that overcome that. Some will turn their noses up at kidneys. Please don’t. Even if the thought of kidneys is abhorrent you will really not know they are in there and they add a lovely richness to the gravy.

I have made this as healthy as possible. It’s low fat and, for those on Slimming World, it is very low in Syns, 1 Syn between four people plus any you may add with Spray oil.

Here is the recipe. Serve with green vegetables if liked.

Beef Hotpot.                        Serves 4

• Cooked roast beef, all fat and grizzle removed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• Spray sunflower oil or Frylight
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 3 lambs kidneys, core removed and very finely chopped
• 3/4 pt beef stock made with 2 stock cubes
• Leaves from a sprig of fresh thyme
• 1tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tsp cornflour dissolved in a little water
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 medium red potatoes, thinly slices

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/160C fan
2. Spray a large nonstick frying pan with oil and fry the onion over a medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the kidneys and fry for a minute more.
3. pour in the stock and add the cornflour, thyme and Worcestershire Sauce. Season.
4. Add the beef, mix well, cover and simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Pour all the beef mixture into an ovenproof dish. Cover with the potatoes then press the potatoes down slightly so they are covered with a little gravy.
6. Cover with foil and cook in the oven for 1.5 hours or until the potatoes are tender. Serve while hot.

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Tags: Beef leftovers, healthy, Slimming World friendly