Braised beef in Big Smoke Stout - come along on Sunday to get the ingredients

April Braised beef in Big Smoke Stout

This recipe uses beef from Mike and Heather Belcher's March House Farm in Great Dalby and stout from Big Smoke Brew, a new stall. Mike's family has farmed at Great Dalby since 1780 and they have attended the market since it started 21 years ago. We try to keep a mix of familiar and new stalls to maintain quality whilst keeping the market interesting.

March House Farm is a model of sustainability powered by a large solar array and a biomass boiler using woodchip from the farm and local woodland management projects.

They rear native breeds that can adapt well to the environment, are low input and thrive on grass. Mike explains; “These breeds have developed over the centuries in the UK and are used to the conditions and climate. they convert pasture well, can keep warm and adapt; important when you consider their suitability to be low input and hardy, so not wasting energy on staying warm for example. All these factors have an impact on the quality of the meat as well as being a more sustainable way of farming.”

Big Smoke Brew is a relatively new brewery based in Esher. The market is a great way to introduce people to the brand and get feedback from customers.

The recipe

2 kg of diced beef – feather blade or shin can also be used

600 mls Big Smoke Stout

250 grams carrots peeled and chopped

4 cloves of garlic chopped

6 grams rubbed thyme

6 grams rubbed rosemary

1 bay leaf

Rapeseed oil for frying

60 grams butter

2 large onions diced – baby onions or pickling onions can be used – if using small onions soak in water for a couple of hrs. and they will peel easily

20 grams plain four

30 grams tomato puree

1.2 litres beef stock

Salt & Pepper for seasoning

Put the pieces of beef into a stainless steel bowl or similar with the ale, garlic, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Cover and marinade in the fridge for 24 hrs.

Drain the meat in a colander, reserving the marinade, and dry the pieces on some kitchen paper. Heat the rapeseed oil in a heavy frying pan, lightly flour the meat with 1 tbls of the flour, season with salt and pepper and fry the meat on a high heat a few pieces at a time until nicely browned.

Heat the butter in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and gently fry the onions and carrots for a few minutes until soft. Add the flour and tomato puree and stir over a low heat for a minute. Slowly add the marinade stirring constantly to avoid lumps forming. Bring to the boil and simmer until it has reduced by half. Add the meat stock and the pieces of beef, enough water to cover bring back to the boil, cover with a lid and simmer gently for about 2-2½ hours until the meat is tender. It's difficult to put an exact time on braised meats, sometimes an extra half an hour may be required depending on the meat itself. The best way to check is by actually tasting the meat.

One the meat is cooked the sauce should have thickened sufficiently.

Serve with mashed potatoes and a good spoonful of horseradish cream

Neil Roster – Chef and Market Manager

The Food Market is a social enterprise organised by Dukes Meadows Trust.

Open every Sunday 10am to 2pm www.thefoodmarketchiswick.com

We are operating following COVID rules. Please; wear a mask, use the hand sanitiser available and maintain social distance

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March 31, 2021