Beef and Bacon Stewed in Cider

Ingredients:

• ~600g stewing beef
• ~300g smokey bacon
• ~500ml dry cider
• ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 beef stock cube, dissolved in 500ml hot water
• 2 large carrots, sliced
• 4 medium sized onions, sliced
• 3 celery sticks, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• ~250g button mushrooms, halved or quartered
• 2 bay leaves, dried or fresh
• 1 sprig of thyme, or ½ tsp dried
• 1 sprig of rosemary, or ½ tsp dried
• Dijon mustard, optional
• tomato puree, optional
• ~25g butter
• 4 tbsp gluten-free white flour
• salt & black pepper

Instructions:

1. Brown the meat

   Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot, with a lid, that can be used on the stovetop and in the oven. Add in the bacon and cook on a gentle-moderate heat until they have released much of their fat into the pot. The bacon will be a pale pink and/or slightly golden brown when it is done. You will need to stir it around every now and then to stop it sticking to the pan. Once the bacon is cooked transfer it to a large plate. Now, add in a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil and turn up the heat to high. Use the fat from the bacon to brown the stewing beef. When all the beef is browned transfer to the large plate with the bacon on it.

2. Sweat the vegetables

   Add a little beef stock to the pot and scrape up beef bits off the bottom off the pan. Reduce the heat to gentle-moderate and add in a knob of the butter, about 10g. When the butter has melted, add in the sliced onions and mix around well so they are all covered in the melted butter and stock. Cover the pot and leave them to sweat for 5 minutes. Then, add the carrots, celery, cover again and let sweat for another 5 minutes. Next add in the mushrooms, increase the heat to moderate, cover and let cook for a further 5 minutes.

3. Thicken with a roux

   Reduce the heat to gentle-moderate and add in the rest of the butter, about 15g. When it has melted, sprinkle over the flour and stir around well for a good 2 - 3 minutes. You want to make sure that you have cooked the flour or the stew will taste floury no matter what you do. Next, pour in the beef stock bit by bit. Pour in a little and keep stirring so that it is smoothly mixed with the flour before adding more stock. Increase the heat to moderate as you add more stock. It should start to look like a thick gravy.

4. Add in the cider, garlic & herbs, and stew

   Turn on the oven to 160 C. Add back in the meat and stir around well. Stir in the cider, garlic, bay leaves, thyme and rosemary. Increase the heat and bring to the boil. Stir in a teaspoon of tomato puree, Dijon mustard and cider vinegar. With the stew bubbling away, stir in a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, give it one good stir. Then cover and transfer to the oven. Leave to cook for 90 minutes. Halfway through the cook time, take out of the oven and stir around. Check that there is enough liquid in the pot. If you want more gravy, add in a little more cider.
5. After it has finished stewing take out, stir and taste. Does it need more salt or pepper? Would you like it to taste sharper? If so add in a little more vinegar. Would you like it to taste sweeter? If so, stir in a teaspoon of maple syrup or brown sugar.
6. Serve with rice, pasta or potatoes, and a sprinkle of parsley.

Enjoy!