Tender roast beef slowly cooked with carrots, celery, onion and thyme in a rich, savoury gravy.
There is something wonderfully comforting about a dish that can be prepared in the morning and left to slowly transform in the oven. This slow-cooked beef and vegetable hotpot is exactly that kind of food — hearty, warming and made for gathering around the table.
A simple beef roasting joint is first seared until beautifully browned, then nestled amongst onions, carrots and celery with garlic, thyme, tomato and Worcestershire sauce. Everything cooks slowly in the oven until the beef is tender and the vegetables are soft, creating a rich, comforting gravy along the way.
It is the sort of recipe that feels particularly welcome on a chilly afternoon. Serve it with creamy mashed potatoes, crusty bread or simply let the vegetables and rich gravy do the work.
Serves
4–6
Ingredients
1 beef roasting joint, approximately 1kg
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large brown onion, chopped
4 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely grated or crushed
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp tomato purée
2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Approximately 750ml beef stock
Method
Sear the beef
Preheat the oven to 160°C / 140°C fan / Gas Mark 3.
Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole or heavy-based pot over a medium-high heat. Season the beef generously with salt and black pepper, then carefully place it into the hot oil.
Sear the beef for a few minutes on each side until it has developed a deep golden-brown crust. This adds plenty of flavour to the finished dish. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside.
Build the vegetables
Add the chopped onion, celery and carrots to the same pot, allowing them to cook in the flavourful oil and juices left behind by the beef. Sauté for around 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.
Add the crushed garlic and cook for another minute, stirring so that it doesn't catch.
Sprinkle over the dried thyme and stir until the vegetables are evenly coated.
Make the gravy
Add the Worcestershire sauce and tomato purée and stir everything together. Sprinkle over the flour and continue stirring for a minute or two, allowing the flour to coat the vegetables.
Gradually pour in the beef stock, stirring as you go. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and continue cooking for a few minutes until the liquid begins to thicken into a rich, savoury sauce.
Slow cook the beef
Return the seared beef to the pot, nestling it amongst the vegetables. The liquid should come partway up the sides of the beef. If needed, add a little more stock.
Cover the casserole with its lid and carefully transfer it to the oven. Cook slowly for approximately 4 hours, turning the beef halfway through cooking.
For the final 30 minutes, remove the lid and return the pot to the oven. This allows the gravy to reduce and the top of the beef to develop a little more colour.
Rest and serve
Remove the beef from the oven and allow it to rest for around 15–20 minutes before carving. Taste the gravy and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Pull the soft meat apart gently and serve generously with the soft vegetables and plenty of the rich gravy spooned over the top.
A Mia Dolce Vita Touch
This is the kind of recipe that makes a house feel like home. Put it in the oven on a slow Sunday morning, let the kitchen gradually fill with the smell of thyme and roasting beef, and forget about it for a few hours.
Serve it at the table with a dish of roasted potatoes and roasted vegetables on the side, or keep things wonderfully simple with a loaf of homemade crusty bread for soaking up the gravy.
And don't worry about making the table perfect. A big pot of food in the middle, good bread to share and people lingering around the table is more than enough.