Spec me a Beef Casserole

SiriusB

SiriusB

SiriusB

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There are some talented cooks on these forums, at least from what I have seen in food-related threads.

I need to cook a beef casserole for 3 people next week and would like to try a new recipe [ie one that doesn't involve a packet of casserole mix]. Because two of the 3 people have big stomachs, better make the recipe suitable for 4-5 people :p

I'm not a stranger in the kitchen myself but I have a blind spot with some foods - casserole being one of them.

So, cooks of OcUK - tell me what you have!
 
These spec me threads are really becoming silly now

* awaits "spec me the best flavoured condom" thread *

Get a cook book you bum or google for recipe reviews! :p
 
Steak, fillet, rump or sirlon.

Slice about 1 cm thick, cut into medallin size pieces.

Season some plain flour, dip meant and pat off excess flour.

Heat a pan, add a liitle olive oil and brown of meat, remove from pand a set aside.

Slice one large onion and sweat of for 5 minutes in the same pan, remove from pan and set aside.

Add 100ml of ale to pan, deglaze and add onions and meat and simmer for 40 minutes to 1 hour.

Done.
 
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tsinc80697 said:
These spec me threads are really becoming silly now

* awaits "spec me the best flavoured condom" thread *

Get a cook book you bum or google for recipe reviews!
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I have Googled for a recipe but most seem pretty generic and not too far removed from what I have done in the past. Meat, Stock, Cook, Serve.

I was hoping the chefs here at OcUK had some good recipes. There have been plenty of cooking threads with some great recipes - that I have tried and loved.

As an aside, do you know what the best flavour is for a condom?

Mohinder said:
Indeed.

Someone should spec them all a great big **** off
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Now, now. Be nice!

Akira said:
www.bbc.co.uk/food
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Was the first place I looked. The I tried ITV's website. Nothing I fancied [ITV didn't even have a Beef Casserole recipe, at least none I could find].
 
steak & kidney casserole is where it's at.

Go to butcher (a good one :p) and ask for some hoch/shin & some kidney - win win :)

Even I can make a casserole :/
 
I can make a casserole. I'd just like to try something different/more involved than just meat and gravy. :)

Didn't think asking for a casserole recipe would be this bloody troublesome. :o
 
Slinwagh said:
Steak, fillet, rump or sirlon.
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Pointless using these cuts of beef in a Casserole. A Casserole is a way of cooking the cheaper cuts of meats ... hence the reason you cook it in the oven for many hours.

Just use google and you will find plenty of recipes.
 
go to butchers buy two pounds of braising or stewing steak.

Cut into thick 1 inch squares.

Meanwhile cut up into rough chunks 2 large onions (peeled) 1 leek, a small swede and a turnip.

Heat a pan/wok until hot add a small amount of veg oil and brown meat. No need for flour. Do this in three or 4 small portions. You can add a clove of crushed garlic. Use some of your stock to de-glaze the pan and pour into cooking pot.

Add meat to a large saucepan with lid (that can go in the oven) or a slow cooker is an excellent way to prepare casseroles.

Add the vegetables, salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce and three bay leaves.

Add stock which can consist of 1 can of ale/stout and the rest should be a beef stock or bouillon..

Should be enough stock to cover items in pan.

Cover and cook at 160-170 deg for between 2-3 hours (oven dependent)

When meat is tender and falls apart when you bite a piece it is ready.

Remove from oven and remove bay leaves, thicken liquid either with cornflour or by cooking dumplings on top of the stew while it is on the hob. (about 20 minutes.

Serve with mashed potato's which have been mashed with fresh chopped chives and butter.
 
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Pyscho_Si said:
Pointless using these cuts of beef in a Casserole. A Casserole is a way of cooking the cheaper cuts of meats ... hence the reason you cook it in the oven for many hours.

Just use google and you will find plenty of recipes.
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Its not pointless, there is nothing wrong with using these cuts at all. Granted it would be cheaper with caserole or braising steak but my version is just a twist on the classic beef and ale stew.
 
I agree with pyscho.

Use the cheaper cuts and cook for longer the flavour will be much more intense than if you used the finer cuts which are not really meant for this

Now a pot roast of a whole rump JOINT is a different matter.
 
Just as an aside a slow cooker as I have said is ideal for this.

You add the ingredients in the morning, switch it on and go have fun allday.

Come home make the mash or dumplings and serve.
 
Slinwagh said:
Steak, fillet, rump or sirlon.

Slice about 1 cm thick, cut into medallin size pieces.

Season some plain flour, dip meant and pat off excess flour.

Heat a pan, add a liitle olive oil and brown of meat, remove from pand a set aside.

Slice one large onion and sweat of for 5 minutes in the same pan, remove from pan and set aside.

Add 100ml of ale to pan, deglaze and add onions and meat and simmer for 40 minutes to 1 hour.

Done.
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Are you insane? Using those cuts for a stew. You must have money to burn and love rubbish food. Stewing stake is what you want, it has the right qualities. Slow simmer for 3-5hours and you'll have a great stew.

Stewing stake, diced dusted in flour and fry to seal.
Diced large onion sweat in same pan.
Add a bottle of ale, same amount of water
2 beef stock cubes
Salt + pepper.
Throw in what ever veg you like.
Potatoes, carrots what ever really.
If you want a thick, sweet sauce. Throw in a bitternut squash. It'll disentagrate and thicken up the sauce a treat.

3+ hours, the longer the better.
 
AcidHell2 said:
Are you insane? Using those cuts for a stew. You must have money to burn and love rubbish food.
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Absolutely not, I think if you tried it you would be very surprised and how good it was.
 
Stews are pretty easy, use butter (proper butter not clover etc) to brown the meat, onions off, add stock, add veg (I've always included celery, swede and carrot at least), add garlic to taste and season.
Although people are saying deglaze the pots, i'd rather use the butter from browning the meat off to make a roux and use that with some stock to thicken it all up.


Slinwagh said:
Absolutely not, I think if you tried it you would be very surprised and how good it was.
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Erm, no it wouldnt be :) its not about the quality of meat, a lot of the flavour in stews comes from the fat from the meat.
 
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http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17737279
That's for a pie, don't bother with the pastry if you just want a stew.


And I would also have to say that using fillet steak in a stew makes no sense.
Fillets should be cooked for a very short amount of time. For a stew you want meat with a lot of fat, which breaks down over the course of a couple of hours cooking leaving you with tasty and tender meat.
 
I'm with the braising steak camp..I tend to leave it in larger chunks of 2-3 inches though and as it cooks and gets tender little bits flake off into the gravy, more flavour in this cut of meat and a little bit more fat to add to the goodness, it will all melt away

if you want to make a rich gravy a dark sweet beer like brown ale or black sheep rigwelter or something like jennings snecklifter really adds to it

and some small bits of liver..finely chopped will melt away into the gravy..you only need a little as its more to make things a bit richer than to actually eat it


as for veg..onion or leek as already mentioned, celery is good as well, I like cattor and mushroom as well..the mushrooms soak up the juices beautifully.


brown the meat first though..I will always slow cook it on a weekend if I'm doing it...cook for as long as possible to get the meat so its falling apart its so tender

all you need is some mash after that..or served in a giant yorkshire pudding
 
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