Italian Beef

Photo: flickr user biskuit

Ingredients

3 tablespoons fruity olive oil

knob of butter

8 piece braising steak each weighing about 200g

2 onions finely sliced

2 clv garlic crushed

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

680 grams jar of passata

350 ml robust italian red wine

2 tablespoons oregano freshly chopped

1 salt and freshly ground black pepper

rocket leaves and shavings of fresh parmesan to serve

225 grams fresh tagliatelle

2 tablespoons fruity olive oil

1 lrg leek trimmed and finely sliced

125 grams mushrooms sliced

50 cups gm pine nuts

12 clv garlic finely sliced

185 grams can pitted black olives drained and sliced

4 halves sun dried tomatoes finely shredded

Preparation

Heat the oil and butter together in a large ovento hob casserole then add the meat and brown quickly on both sides on the boiling plateyou may need to do this in two batches and possibly to move the pan to the simmering plate if the other is too hot.

Scoop the beef out of the casserole and set to one side.

Add the onions and garlic to the juices in the pan and cook covered on the floor of the roasting ovenfor 10 minutes.

Pour in the vinegar and cook quickly on top of the aga stirring all the time to loosen any sediment stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Add the passata wine oregano and plenty of seasoning then bring to the boil.

Bury the meat back in the pan making sure that it is covered by the sauce and adding a little more wine or water if necessary.

Cook on the floor of the simmering ovenfor 4 to 6 hours or longer: 8 to 10 hours will not harm the dish.

To serve: bring a large pan of salted water to the boil then add the tagliatelle and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or as directed on the packet.

Meanwhile heat a wok or large frying pan on the floor of the roasting ovenfor 3 to 4 minutes then transfer it to the simmering plate and add the oil.

Add the leek and mushrooms once the oil is hot and stir fry for 3 to 4 minutes without letting them burn.

Scoop the beef out of the sauce into a dish and keep it warm in the simmering oven.

Cook the sauce rapidly on the boiling plateuntil well reduced then season it to taste.

Add all the other stir fry ingredients to the leek and mushrooms.

Drain the tagliatelle and add it to the vegetables then toss them together.

Make a bed of the stir fry on each warmed serving plate then top with a piece of beef and spoon the sauce over. Garnish with a topknot of rocket leaves and some shavings of parmesan.

Serve immediately.

A gorgeously rich casserole of beef cooked with plenty of nty favourite italian ingredients. An ideal dish for entertaining easy to do and certain to impress.

Serves 8