beef California with mashed potatoes & roast sprouts

SERVES 6

Alice’s mum has been making this slow beef for years and everyone always immediately demands the recipe. The same tatty instruction sheet has been copied so many times that no-one can quite remember the changes and additions that have been made along the way – we think the original version was a Valentina Harris recipe. In short, this is a hot-water bottle of a menu. Rich, saucy, satisfying and best served after a walk so cold it has turned your cheeks pink. Pop the meat in the oven before you leave the house and come home to a melt-in-the-mouth dish; you can cut the beef with a spoon.

50g unsalted butter 2 or 3 small shallots, finely diced 1.5kg piece of beef silverside 3 tbsp plain flour Small wine glass of red wine vinegar 400ml meat stock (homemade is best,

or use a good-quality fresh one) 400ml pouring cream Sea salt and black pepper for the roast sprouts 500g brussels sprouts Olive oil, for drizzling for the mash 1kg Desiree potatoes, peeled and cut into thumb-length chunks 1 bunch of spring onions, ends trimmed 200ml whole milk 75g unsalted butter

1. Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Melt the butter in a cast-iron ovenproof pan (or flameproof casserole) that has a lid, add the shallots and fry for 5 minutes. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside.

2. Dust the piece of beef with flour, then brown on all sides in the butter. To avoid the sauce being bitter, remove the browned meat to a dish and wipe out any burned flour. Turn the heat up high and pour in the vinegar.

3. Once the vinegar has evaporated, add the stock and cream. Season with salt and pepper, then return the shallots and meat to the pan. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 3 hours, turning it every so often to make sure it cooks evenly. It is done when the meat is very tender and yields to pressure from a couple of forks. Remove and keep warm while you make the mash and sprouts.

4. Increase the oven temperature to 200ºC. Toss the sprouts in enough olive oil to coat, spread out in a roasting tin and roast for 35–45 minutes, until crispy on the outside and soft and pulpy inside.

5. Meanwhile, bring plenty of salted water to the boil (enough to cover the potatoes easily), add the potatoes and cook for 15–20 minutes until really soft – a knife should slide in very easily (better overdone than underdone).

6. While the potatoes are boiling, arrange the spring onions in an oven tray in a single layer with a drizzle of oil and a sprinkle of salt. Cook in the oven alongside the sprouts for about 15 minutes, until completely soft and the dark green ends are starting to go brown. Remove to a plate or board.

7. Drain and rice the potatoes, if you have a ricer; otherwise use a potato masher. Warm the milk and the butter together in a pan over a low heat just until the butter has melted; don’t let it boil. Add half the milk mixture to the potato and use a spoon to combine it all, then keep adding the mixture until you have the consistency you like. We like quite a wet mash.

8. If necessary, reheat the beef for a few minutes in the hot oven or on the hob, then serve with the sprouts and the mash topped with the spring onions.