This tender, melt-in-the-mouth dish is a hearty treat, great as we move into autumn. It can be made with pretty much any cut of beef, and because it cooks for a long time even a very cheap cut will be succulent and tender. I used a cut of beef called skirt, but anything such as braising steak, brisket, chuck or shin would be delicious in this recipe. You may have to look in a butchers to find some of them if your supermarket doesn’t have a meat counter, but they shouldn’t be too expensive and there is often much more flavour to be found in a cheaper cut of meat!
Leftovers should be fine to reheat for around three days if kept in the fridge, or around a month if frozen.
Tip: small chunks of blue cheese or mature cheddar stirred through 5 minutes before cooking is done would add a lovely depth to this dish.
Serves: four people.
Cost per person: £1.02 (price based on Tesco Value ingredients, except for the beef).
Ingredients:
- 400g diced beef
- 1 onion
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 can (400g) chopped tomatoes
- 1 can (400g) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 red pepper
- 1-2 tsps chilli powder
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 50ml water
- Salt and pepper, to season
- Vegetable oil, for frying
Method
1) Preheat the oven to 160C.
2) Dice the beef if not already done, and coat it in a layer of flour.
3) Fry the beef on a high heat for 3-4 minutes on each side, until sealed and golden brown.
4) Chop the onion and garlic and them to the beef. Cook on a medium heat for another 10 minutes.
5) Add the water and chilli powder to the beef and onions, and simmer for 2 minutes.
6) Add the chopped tomatoes, kidney beans and the chopped pepper, and stir together well.
7) Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.
8) Serve with a jacket potato or mash, and enjoy!
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