Slow cooked beef in beer with prunes

Serves 6 1.3kg chuck or blade steak

1⁄4 cup plain flour

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 medium onions, halved lengthways and thinly sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

160g lean bacon, rind removed, chopped 2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 Tbsp brown sugar

1 500ml bottle dark beer, porter or stout, I used Monteith’s Barrel Aged Porter 1 400g can tomatoes, chopped in puree 3 Tbsp red wine vinegar

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary 160g pitted prunes

Herb topping

1⁄4 cup finely chopped fresh flat leafed parsley

1⁄4 cup finely chopped fresh mint

60g coarsely chopped roasted cashew nuts

2 Tbsp finely chopped preserved lemon rind

Method

Preheat the oven to 160degC.Trim the beef of excess fat and cut into 3cm4cm pieces. Lightly dust the meat with the flour and place into a 10cup capacity casserole dish.

Heat 1 Tbsp oil over low heat in a large frypan. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 810 minutes until softened but not browned. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Raise the heat to medium, add the bacon and extra oil if needed and saute for 34 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring for a couple of minutes.

Return the onions to the fry pan. Add the brown sugar, beer, tomatoes, red wine vinegar, mustard and rosemary and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer. Gently pour this over the meat in the casserole dish, stirring to distribute evenly. Cover tightly with lid or foil and place in the oven for about three and ahalf hours or until the meat is tender. Add the prunes to the casserole, cover with lid and return to the oven for 30 minutes more until the sauce is rich and thick. To make the herb topping

Combine the herbs, cashew nuts and preserved lemon in a small bowl just prior to serving.

Serve the casserole sprinkled with the herb topping.

Lots of creamy mashed potatoes are an essential part of this, but couscous or rice would go well, too.

Accompany with a salad or your favourite green vegetable.