BEEF & BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Enjoy these Boston baked beans with a jacket potato or crusty bread. Time works its magic on this dish, but there’s very little hands-on work to do

300g dried cannellini beans

1 fresh bay leaf

1tbsp vegetable oil

500g beef shin, cut into 4cm chunks

120g smoked lardons

1 large onion, cut into wedges

2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

100g treacle

2tbsp tomato puree

1tbsp mustard powder

Pinch of ground cloves

Jacket potatoes or bread and coleslaw, to serve

1 Tip the beans into a large pan, then pour in enough water to cover them by 5cm. Add the bay and leave to soak overnight. The next day, drain the beans, return to the pan and pour in enough fresh water to cover them by 3cm. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 mins until the beans are tender. You may need to top up the water slightly as they cook.

2 Heat the oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 2. Heat the oil in a large casserole or ovenproof saucepan, and fry the beef for 5 mins over a high heat until evenly browned – you’ll need to do this in batches. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon. Add the lardons and onion to the pan, and cook over a medium- high heat for 5-7 mins until the onions are turning golden and the lardons are starting to crisp.

3 Stir the beef back into the pan. Add the beans along with the cooking liquid, and stir in the garlic, treacle, tomato puree, mustard powder and cloves. Season, then top up with some water so the beans are covered by 2-3cm. Cover and bring to a simmer, then transfer to the oven for 2 hrs 30 mins. Remove the lid, stir and return to the oven for 1 hr 30 mins until the meat is tender and the sauce rich. Once cooled, the beans can be frozen for up to three months. Serve with jacket potatoes or bread and coleslaw.

PREP: 20 MINS COOK: 4 HRS AND 30 MINS PLUS OVERNIGHT SOAKING SERVES 4-6