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Slow cooker beef, beer and kidney casserole

The Perfect Steak

When it comes to cooking it is said that if you make a simple dish you have to do it perfectly. The best example of this is probably beef steak. It may just seem like just a slice of meat but it can so easily and very quickly go wrong. It must be the only dish in a restaurant where you are asked as to how you would like it cooked. Everything else on the menu we entrust to the skills of the trained chef.

It's not surprising we get asked about the cooking of our steaks as there are so many variants. Do like the nearly raw 'blue' or has it got to be a thoroughly cooked 'well done'? Then of course there are all the different cuts you can have. The three main ones are rump, sirloin and fillet. Over the years some cuts have become less fashionable such as porterhouse while the classic French cut of entrecôte now seems to be known as the more American sounding ribeye.

Once you've got the cut sorted out it's time to think about the cooking method. Are you a pan fryer or like to keep turning it on the grill. Perhaps you only cook steak on the barbecue which would mean you've got a long wait before you have one at home again!

The last thing to think about is any additional flavourings. Some like it completely plain, others just a hint of seasoning.Other people will need a real shot of flavour with the addition of herbs, garlic or chilli. You may also be a fan of a sauce such as Diane or a dash of mustard.

To help everyone get their steaks just right the experts at Barbecoa Jamie Oliver have come up with their guide to cooking the perfect steak. So have a look below and see what tips you can pick up.

How do you like your steak cooked? What's your favourite cut?

This is a collaborative post.

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Slow cooker ale-braised beef with dumplings

Ale-braised beef with dumplings

With Christmas came a new batch of cookbooks to add to to my stash and with that a temptation to flick through them but never cook a thing from them. Help is at hand through Dom at Belleau Kitchen and his Random recipes challenge.

The idea, as the name suggests, is that you pick a cookbook at random and then go through the pages and pick a recipe to cook at random. I got four lovely books this Christmas – Lizzie Kamenetzky: The Great British Bake Off Winter Kitchen, Mary Berry & Lucy Young: At Home, Fiona Cairns: Bake & Decorate, and Mary Berry's Christmas Collection (signed!).

We decided to take the whole randomness very seriously and assigned each of the above books a number from 1 to 4 and entered them into the appropriately named Random.org. Out spat number 1 which meant The Great British Bake Off Winter Kitchen. To get the page I entered in the numbers 14 to 294 as these are the ones with recipes on. Out came 141 and on that page is a recipe for hot-water crust pastry. Mr JibberJabber was quite delighted by this and still remembers the giant pork pie we made many Christmases ago. However, the recipe was just for the pastry to make 6 individual pies and no filling. The previous recipe for ginger and chilli beef raised pies used this pastry but requires 6 x 220ml metal pudding basins and I don't own a single one. So, I tried again and it came out as 119 which is a picture of Ale-braised shin of beef with walnut dumplings. I have to say this was quite a relief as it wasn't something extraordinarily technical but still tinged with a little disappointment as I do make something similar with my Beef, Bacon and Guinness Casserole.

To start with this recipe is designed for six people and there are just the four of us to feed so I have amended the quantity of beef needed. I calculated that it was asking for 800g of shin beef for four which seemed a lot of meat unless you are a family of four pumas. I couldn't find shin beef but I did get two packs of 450g diced braising steak reduced so I ended up using 900g of beef. After this was cooked and dished out we found that we had enough leftover for another two portions and so this has been put in the freezer. Therefore my version of this recipe still feeds six people but with 300g less beef than the original!

I don't have any fresh thyme or bay at the moment and I wasn't prepared to go to a garden centre to buy one of each so I resorted to my dried supplies. The recipe calls for just one carrot which seems very mean for four people let alone six so I've upped this to three carrots. The major change I have made though is that this a casserole to be cooked in the oven. I don't think I have ever cooked a casserole in the oven and the casserole dish I own certainly isn't big enough to cope with these quantities. I've had a slow cooker since my parents bought me one at university because the kitchens in the halls of residence had only a hob and microwave.

Of course the star of this recipe is the ale. It states to use brown ale and this conjures up visions of Newcastle Brown and Manns but I was after something local. I consulted my in-house expert in Mr JibberJabber and he suggested a visit to the Archer Road Beer Stop.

It certainly is a rarity of shop in this day and age and most likely to be described as a 'gem'. I can't dispute that. No supermarket is ever going to stock that range of beers or give advice on which local beer constitutes a brown ale. Apparently brown ale doesn't have a very good reputation amongst real ale aficionados so breweries aren't keen on terming their beers as such. Therefore you need to look out for a dark amber coloured beer and it was suggested we try Spire Brewery's 80 Shilling Ale. The 'Shilling' categories were a Scottish 19^th century method of pricing a hogshead of beer based on its strength or quality. Don't be fooled by the tartan label as it is brewed in Chesterfield. The other beers in the photograph are all from local breweries within the triangle of South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and North Nottinghamshire.

With such good providence I am sending this over to Elizabeth at Elizabeth's Kitchen Diary and her Shop Local challenge.

As this recipe has a selection of herbs, both dried and fresh, I am also sending it to Karen at Lavender and Lovage for her Cooking with Herbs challenge.

Serves 6 – Can be frozen

Ingredients

2lb (900g) Diced beef (cuts such as shin, stewing or braising steak)

1 onion, sliced

2 Celery stalks, chopped

3 Carrots, sliced

3½ oz (100g) Chestnut mushrooms, quartered

3 Garlic cloves, crushed

1tsp Dried thyme

2 Dried bay leaves

1tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

½ pint (300ml) Beef stock

Black pepper to season

6 Shallots, peeled plus a small amount of butter to fry them

If necessary to thicken cornflour mixed with cold water

Dumplings

3oz (80g) Self-raising flour

2oz (55g) Suet

1 tbsp (15ml) Flat-leaf parsley (chopped, including stalks)

2-3 tbsp (30-45ml) Water, to mix

Method

1. Pre-heat the slow cooker to HIGH while you prepare the vegetables.

2. Add all the ingredients for the casserole except for the shallots in the slow cooker.

3. Cook for 4-6 hours on HIGH.

4. Towards the end of the cooking time prepare the dumplings by mixing together the flour, suet and parsley in a bowl.

5. Add the water one tablespoon at a time until the mixture binds together.

6. Divide the mixture and shaped into 8 dumplings. Put to one side.

7. In a small frying pan heat the butter and lightly fry the shallots until they start to colour.

8. Add the shallots into the slow cooker and stir in.

9. If you wish to thicken the casserole mix 1 tablespoon of cornflour with 1 tablespoon of water, pour in and stir.

10. Place the dumplings on top and cook for at least another 20 minutes.

11. Before serving take out the 2 bay leaves.

We served ours with roast potatoes and Yorkshire Puddings.

Beef, Bacon and Guinness Casserole

If there is one drink that is associated with Ireland it's got be Guinness. There are other Irish stouts, the cream liqueurs made famous by Baileys plus a variety of whiskeys but Guinness would top the Family Fortunes' poll. If you're not a fan of the black stuff then the best way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day is to stick in some cooking. This is all the more appropriate if once the middle of March comes and the sky seems constantly full of snow; a hearty and warming casserole will do the trick.

I cook this meal in my slow cooker but if you don't have a slow cooker fear not as it is really a very easy recipe as it all goes in the dish and then cooked; so I have included the timings if you wish to cook it in the oven. One of my slow cooker tips is if you think you will be out too long even if you set it on 'low' then use a timer switch.

Since beef isn't the cheapest food item I used half beef and half cooking bacon (usually has some smoked bacon in for flavour). You can vary the quantities but don't put more than 50% bacon in as this will overpower the taste of the beef. As there is quite a bit of bacon in the recipe I don't put any extra salt in but if you think it needs more then add according to personal taste. The addition of caster sugar is to counter the bitterness of the Guinness so if you use a sweeter stout or beer you may want to leave the sugar out.

This recipes uses half a bottle of Guinness so the question is what do you do with the rest of it? You could raise a glass to St. Patrick and drink it with the meal. Alternatively if you have a number of guests make double or just make double anyway and freeze the second portion. A nice way to round off the meal would be to finish off with a slice of Chocolate Guinness Cake, which rather conveniently uses half a bottle of Guinness.

Ingredients

12oz (340g) Braising or stewing steak, diced

12oz (340g) Cooking bacon, diced

1 Large onion, sliced or 8 whole small onions or shallots

2 Garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp (5ml) Mustard (I used Dijon but English or French would be fine)

1 tsp (5ml) Creamed horseradish

1 tbsp (15ml) Caster sugar

½ pint (300ml) Beef stock

½ bottle (250ml) Guinness

If required to thicken use either 1tbsp (15ml) cornflour mixed with 1tbsp (15ml) water or add some instant gravy granules.

Serve with Champ and vegetables of your choice

4 Large potatoes, peeled and diced

1bunch Spring onions (scallions), chopped

¼ pint (150ml) Double cream or milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Method 

1. Pre-heat the slow cooker to high or if using an oven 170°C/Gas Mark 3

2. Put all the casserole ingredients except the cornflour/gravy granules in the slow cooker or casserole dish.

3. Leave to cook on low for 7-9 hours, on high for 4-6 hours or in the oven for 1¼ hours. That is it – really!

4. Turn off the slow cooker or oven while you prepare the Champ. If you think the casserole needs thickening do so now. Keep the slow cooker dish covered and on the stand or the dish in the oven.

5. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with just enough water to cover. Bring to the boil and then cook until the potatoes are tender – around 20 minutes.

6. Drain the potatoes and return to the pan.

7. Over a low heat mash the potatoes and then mix in the spring onions and the cream or milk. Add any seasonings required. Heat through gently but do not boil.

8. Serve with the casserole and vegetables.

Cheese topped beef pie

Years ago the standard Sunday meal was a roast joint of meat of some variety. The brilliant thing about a joint of meat is that a long cook on the Sunday meant little cooking on Monday as the leftovers were used in a quick and simple dish. Often in my house as child Monday was actually 'Cold meat Monday'. This would involve slices of the cold roast meat from the day before (never my favourite; warm it up, please), salad made by my Nan sometime in the afternoon so by dinner time it was a soggy mess, and boiled potatoes but not potatoes that should have been peeled and boiled. If we were lucky there would be enough meat to have on the Tuesday and this would be cooked treat and for beef my Mother would cook 'Cheese topped beef pie'. Normally a pie means pastry but in this case it's more like a crumble topping. 

The original recipe was one my Mother had kept from many years previously and was probably issued by some promotional board such as the 'Beef farmers of Britain' or the 'Automated Electrical Company of the UK'. I remember phoning my Mother and asking her the recipe and scribbling it down so I could share the delights of this dish with my family. Over the years I've added and tweaked it to just how I like it but it's easy to adapt. If you have some leftover vegetables such as carrots or something green like peas, broccoli or beans, you could add them in too.

One of the reasons that Sunday roasts are no longer the norm in many households these days is that so many families don't sit down together for meals and a Sunday dinner is seen as something that should be eaten out at a pub or restaurant rather than at home. Another big factor is the price. Meat is expensive, therefore squeezing as many thrifty meals out of a roasting joint is essential. Where my Mother lives there are number of supermarket – Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Waitrose, and they all have more than one branch nearby. Amazingly, they all seem to reduce short dated food by up to 90% on a regular basis and when I go to visit my Mother she insists I take back a freezer bag full of food. This is only way we were able to enjoy a top rump of beef for Sunday dinner this week. The original price was £12.99 but was reduced to £2.60. If you don't believe me here's the evidence!

How else could you make two meals for a family of four for such value? I also make up extra gravy to use in the recipe. Alternatively, just use some instant granules. The cheese topping needs a small quantity of strong cheese, so root around in the back of fridge for any that needs using up. The rest of the ingredients should be hanging your kitchen. For this reason I am entering this recipe into February's Credit Crunch Munch run by Helen at Fuss Free Flavours and hosted this month by Camilla at Fab Food 4 All.

Cheese topped beef pie – Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large onion

1 tablespoon (15ml) oil (sunflower, vegetable – your choice)

1 tablespoon (15ml) plain flour

¾ pint (450ml) beef/meat gravy

8oz (225g) cooked roast beef, diced

black pepper, pinch

nutmeg, pinch (if you don't have any just leave out – no disaster)

Topping

2oz (50g) plain flour

1oz (25g) margarine, spread or butter

1½ oz (40g) strong cheese (mature cheddar or a blue cheese such as Stilton works well)

Method

1. Fry the onion until golden.

2. Add the flour until it browns but doesn't burn.

3. Add the gravy and bring to the boil.

4. Mix in the beef and seasonings.

5. Put the mixture into an oven-proof dish.

6. Make a crumble topping with the flour and fat by rubbing together in a bowl.

7. Add the cheese.

8. Put on top of the beef mixture.

9. Cook at 190°C / gas mark 5 for 15 minutes.

I served mine with reheated roast potatoes, Chantenay carrots (reduced of course) and broccoli.