Pot Roast Beef with Mushrooms

For this dish you an use any beef joint but remember the cheaper cuts will need a lot longer to tenderise them. I served my Pot Roast Beef with lovely creamy mashed potatoes which soaked up all the lovely mushroom gravy. If you have a top pot you can cook your potatoes in that and they will be perfect to mash just before serving.

Course

Beef, Main Dish

Cuisine

Servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 kg beef joint. If you choose a cheaper cut it will need longer cooking
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 large onion thinly sliced
3 400g tins cream of mushroom soup
1 tsp thyme
3 tbsp beef gravy mix powder
250 g mushrooms sliced
2 bay leaves
water

Course

Beef, Main Dish

Cuisine

Servings

Ingredients

2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 kg beef joint. If you choose a cheaper cut it will need longer cooking
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 large onion thinly sliced
3 400g tins cream of mushroom soup
1 tsp thyme
3 tbsp beef gravy mix powder
250 g mushrooms sliced
2 bay leaves
water

Instructions

Add the oil to the inner pot over a medium heat.
Brown the meat all over.
Remove the meat and add the onions and garlic. Cook the onions until they a soft.
Place the meat back on the onions and add all the other ingredients.
Pour in some water if the meat is not completely covered.
Bring to the boil and then turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Put the inner pot into the insulated outer container and shut the lid. Cook for a minimum of 4 hours without power depending on the cut of meat. If cooking it longer bring it back to the boil after the 4 hours.
Serve with mashed potatoes and vegetables of your choice

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Perfect Sticky Glazed Ham

This recipe is adapted from a recipe that appeared in the Waitrose Magazine. It makes the perfect ham for a celebration.

Course

Ham, Main Dish

Cuisine

Servings

Ingredients

2 kg unsmoked gammon from the thick end of the leg
2 onions roughly chopped
2 carrots roughly chopped
2 sticks celery roughly chopped
2 star anise
10 black peppercorns
15-20 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
4 bay leaves
2-3 sprigs thyme
500 ml stout
200 ml cola

Glaze

Course

Ham, Main Dish

Cuisine

Servings

Ingredients

2 kg unsmoked gammon from the thick end of the leg
2 onions roughly chopped
2 carrots roughly chopped
2 sticks celery roughly chopped
2 star anise
10 black peppercorns
15-20 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
4 bay leaves
2-3 sprigs thyme
500 ml stout
200 ml cola

Glaze

Instructions

Place the vegetables on the bottom of the inner pot.
Place the gammon on top of the vegetables.
Add 8 of the cloves and the rest of the ingredients and top up with cold water.
Bring to the boil skimming any scum carefully off the surface.
Turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Place the inner pot into the insulated outer container and shut the lid.
Leave to cook without power for 4 to 6 hours.
Remove while you prepare the glaze.

To glaze

Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Put all the ingredients for the glaze in a pan over a very low heat and mix until combined.
Remove the gammon from the inner pot and put on a rack in a in a baking tray.
With a sharp knife remove the skin leaving a
good even layer of fat.
Score the fat in a diamond pattern and stud each diamond with a clove.
Pour over half the glaze and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes basting with more glaze every 8-10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and leave to rest for at least 10 minutes.

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Carbonnade flamande – Flemish Stew

Carbonnade flamande - Flemish Stew

This Flemish beef stew, or carbonnade flamande, is the national dish of Belgium. It is the perfect dish to serve to friends on a cold winters evening. I love to serve it with crispy potatoes in their jackets but it would be equally lovely with smooth mashed potatoes which would just soak up the lovely rich gravy.

Course

Beef, Main Dish

Cuisine

Flemish

Servings

Ingredients

¼ kg stewing beef cut into 4cm cubes
400 ml Trappist ale such as Leffe or Chimay or other dark ale
3 cloves garlic lightly crushed
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper
2-3 tbsp rapeseed oil
250 g diced pancetta
2 carrots sliced
2 onions sliced
1 leek sliced
1 tbsp tomato puree
350 ml beef stock
1 in bouquet garni (a small bunch of thyme parsley stalks, a bay leaf and about 6 peppercorns tiedmuslin)

Course

Beef, Main Dish

Cuisine

Flemish

Servings

Ingredients

¼ kg stewing beef cut into 4cm cubes
400 ml Trappist ale such as Leffe or Chimay or other dark ale
3 cloves garlic lightly crushed
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper
2-3 tbsp rapeseed oil
250 g diced pancetta
2 carrots sliced
2 onions sliced
1 leek sliced
1 tbsp tomato puree
350 ml beef stock
1 in bouquet garni (a small bunch of thyme parsley stalks, a bay leaf and about 6 peppercorns tiedmuslin)

Instructions

Marinate the beef overnight in the ale with the garlic and bay leaves.
The next day, drain the beef from the marinade, reserving the marinade.
Pat the meat dry with kitchen paper and toss it in the seasoned flour until evenly coated. Shake off any excess flour so it is lightly dusted.
Heat 2 tbsp of the rapeseed oil in the inner pot until hot and fry the beef in 3-4 batches for about 5 minutes per batch, stirring occasionally. You may need to add a little more oil between batches but make sure it is hot again before adding the next batch. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to a plate and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium and fry the pancetta in the inner pot, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden.
Scoop the pancetta out with a slotted spoon and set aside with the beef.
Add the carrots, onions and leek into the inner pot and fry, until they start to brown.
Add the tomato purée, the beef, the reserved marinade, the pancetta, the beef stock and bouquet garni to the casserole.
Season with salt and pepper and bring to the boil.
Once boiling turn down to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes with the lid on.
Turn off the heat and place the inner pot into the vacuum-insulated outer Mr D's Thermal Container.
Shut the lid and leave to thermally cook without power for a minimum of 4 hours.

To serve

Serve mashed potatoes or potatoes in their jackets and greens.

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A Bowl of Pumpkin and Apple Soup

This is a wonderful soup (based on a Keith Floyd recipe from his trip to Africa) to serve on Halloween or bonfire night. The recipe will fill a 4.5L Mr D’s Thermal Cooker but it can easily be halved if you are feeding less people. I used for mine a chicken stock I had saved from cooking a chicken in my thermal cooker earlier in the week but you can if you wish use chicken stock cubes or vegetable stock cubes if you want a vegetarian version.

Course

Starters, Vegetarian

Cuisine

Servings

Ingredients

40 ml rapeseed oil
30 g butter
2 large lonion chopped
1 kg pumpkin peeled and cubed
500 g potatoes peeled and cubed
4 medium eating apples peeled and cubed (I used Cox’s)
1 tsp ground turmeric
3 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
250 ml chicken or vegetable stock if using stock cubes and water 1¼ L and 3 stock cubes
1 tsp salt
2 bay leaves
2 tsp sugar
200 ml crème fraîche

Course

Starters, Vegetarian

Cuisine

Servings

Ingredients

40 ml rapeseed oil
30 g butter
2 large lonion chopped
1 kg pumpkin peeled and cubed
500 g potatoes peeled and cubed
4 medium eating apples peeled and cubed (I used Cox’s)
1 tsp ground turmeric
3 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
250 ml chicken or vegetable stock if using stock cubes and water 1¼ L and 3 stock cubes
1 tsp salt
2 bay leaves
2 tsp sugar
200 ml crème fraîche

Instructions

Heat the oil and butter in inner pot.
Add the onion and sauté until golden.
Add the pumpkin, potato, apples and spices and mix together making sure all the vegetables and fruit are covered with the spices.
Add the stock, salt, bay leaf sugar, crème
fraîche and bring to the boil.
Once boiling turn down to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes with the lid on.
Turn off the heat and place the inner pot into the vacuum-insulated outer Thermal Container.
Shut the lid and leave to thermally cook without power for a minimum of 2 hours.
Before serving remove the bay leaves and purée with a blender.

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Indian Roast Beef and Vegetable Curry

Indian Roast Beef & Vegetable Curry

It is just over a year since I started sending out weekly recipes and to celebrate I have made a recipe adapted from one by Atul Kochher one of only two Indian Chefs in the world to be awarded a coveted Michelin Star. I decided to serve with Atul Kochhars Indian Roast Beef a South Indian vegetable curry which I made in the top pot. If however you do not have a top pot then you can increase the size of beef and increase the beef stock a little. The beef is left to thermally cook for as long as possible to make it so it melts in the mouth. This recipe is certainly worth trying and don't be put off by the amount of garlic and chili as both these mellow during the long, long cook.

Course

Beef

Cuisine

Indian

Servings

Ingredients

750 g beef joint if not using a top pot increase the beef size to 1.2kg

Marinade for the beef

Ingredients for cooking the beef

25 g garlic, crushed
25 g root ginger, grated
1 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tsp chili flakes
6 cloves
2 bay leaves
5 cm cinnamon stick
¼ L beef stock if not using the top pot increase this to enough to cover the beef
½ tsp salt

Ingredients for South Indian Curry

1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp black mustard seeds
8-10 curry leaves
1 green chili, thinly sliced
2 tsp root ginger, grated
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground cumin
6 black peppercorns
2 carrots cut into batons
1 courgette cut into batons
100 g green beans, trimmed and cut in 3 cm lengths
1 large potato cut into small cubes
150 ml coconut cream
250 ml vegetable stock
salt & pepper

Course

Beef

Cuisine

Indian

Servings

Ingredients

750 g beef joint if not using a top pot increase the beef size to 1.2kg

Marinade for the beef

Ingredients for cooking the beef

25 g garlic, crushed
25 g root ginger, grated
1 tbsp wine vinegar
1 tsp chili flakes
6 cloves
2 bay leaves
5 cm cinnamon stick
¼ L beef stock if not using the top pot increase this to enough to cover the beef
½ tsp salt

Ingredients for South Indian Curry

1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp black mustard seeds
8-10 curry leaves
1 green chili, thinly sliced
2 tsp root ginger, grated
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tsp ground cumin
6 black peppercorns
2 carrots cut into batons
1 courgette cut into batons
100 g green beans, trimmed and cut in 3 cm lengths
1 large potato cut into small cubes
150 ml coconut cream
250 ml vegetable stock
salt & pepper

Instructions

Method Marinade

If using a top pot to cook the vegetable curry or rice check that the beef is no bigger that 6.5cms thick so it will fit under the top pot. If it is, cut it into two.
Prick the beef all over so it can absorb the marinade.
Mix all the marinade ingredients together and rub over the beef.
Leave to marinade in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. Overnight would be better

Cooking the beef

Add all the ingredients for the beef to the inner pot.
Place in the beef and bring to the boil
Once boiling turn down to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes with the lid on.
Turn off the heat and place the inner pot into the vacuum-insulated outer Mr D's Thermal Container.
Shut the lid and leave to thermally cook without power for a minimum of 5 hours.

Cooking the vegetable curry in the top pot

Add all the ingredients for the South Indian vegetable curry into the top pot.
Stir and bring to the boil.
Once boiling turn down to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat, open the vacuum-insulated Thermal Container and remove the lid from the inner container. Place the the top pot and put on its lid.
Shut the outer container and leave to thermal cook without power for the same length of time as the beef.

To serve

Slice the beef and serve with rice and the vegetable curry.
Pour some of the liquid the beef was cooked in over the beef before serving.

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Pot Roast Sirlion of Beef

Pot roasting in a thermal cooker works really well as it can been seen with this recipe for pot roast beef. I like to have a selection of vegetables with my pot roast so I add them all at the same time so a complete meal is ready at the end.

Course

Beef, Main Dish

Cuisine

Servings

Ingredients

1.5 kg beef sirloin rolled and tied
2 tbsp plain flour
sea salt
black pepper freshly ground
2 tbsp olive oil
125 g lardons
4 carrots peeled and roughly chopped
1 small celeriac peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
1 beef stock cube
water
3 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves

Course

Beef, Main Dish

Cuisine

Servings

Ingredients

1.5 kg beef sirloin rolled and tied
2 tbsp plain flour
sea salt
black pepper freshly ground
2 tbsp olive oil
125 g lardons
4 carrots peeled and roughly chopped
1 small celeriac peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
4 garlic cloves finely chopped
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
1 beef stock cube
water
3 thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves

Instructions

Mix the flour with a generous pinch each of salt and pepper and roll the beef in the seasoned flour to coat, shaking or patting off any excess. Set aside.
Put the inner pot onto a medium heat and pour in the olive oil.
Once hot add the lardons and cook until starting to crisp.
Carefully place the beef into the pot turning it to brown it all over.
Once brown remove to a plate and set aside.
Add the carrots, celeriac and garlic. Crumble over the stock cube and fry gently stirring until starting to brown.
Pour in a little water and stir to deglaze the inner pot.
Put the beef back in and pour over the tin of tomatoes.
Top up with water until just covering the meat.
Bring to the boil then put on the lid and turn down to a simmer.
Simmer for 10 minutes before turning off the heat and placing the inner pot into the insulated outer container.
Shut the lid and leave to thermal slow cook without power for a minimum of 4 hours.
Once cooked remove the beef and bring the inner pot back to the boil.
To serve thinly slice the beef. Add the vegetables that were cooked with beef and mashed potatoes and cabbage. If you prefer instead of the cabbage and mash serve with some rustic bread and a side salad.

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