bonfire night recipes

Slow Cooked Hereford Beef With Gnocchi

A warming tomato based slow cook casserole made with cubes of stewing steak and warm spices like cayenne pepper and paprika. You’ll love the fresh gnocchi stirred in towards the end of the cooking time. The best cuts of Hereford Beef to use are Neck, Shoulder, Shin and Leg.

Serves: 4 people

Cooking Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 450g/1lb lean boneless stewing steak, cut into 2.5cm/1inch cubes
  • Salt and freshly milled black pepper
  • 2.5ml/½tsp cayenne pepper
  • 5ml/1tsp paprika
  • 30ml/2tbsp sunflower oil
  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or crushed
  • 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
  • 200ml/7fl oz good, hot vegetable stock
  • 1 cinnamon stick, halved
  • 15ml/1tbsp light brown sugar
  • 15ml/1tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 x 400g pack fresh gnocchi
  • 30ml/2tbsp freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Method

  • Place the beef in a large plastic food bag.  Add the seasoning, cayenne and paprika; seal, shake well to coat the beef in the spices.
  • Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan.
  • Cook the beef for 4-5 minutes in batches until brown on all sides.  Transfer to a 1.7L/3pint heatproof casserole pot.
  • In the same frying pan, cook the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes.  Spoon into the casserole pot.
  • Add the tomatoes and stock, cinnamon, sugar and tomato purée.  Bring this to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 2-2½ hours
  • 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time add the gnocchi.
  • Garnish with the parsley and serve with crusty bread.