Slow Cooker Beef Topside With Red Wine Gravy Food

SLOW COOKER ROAST BEEF

Steps:

• Add the carrots and onions to the slow cooker, then add 3 tbsp of cornflour and stir to ensure an even coating. Rub a little oil all over the beef and season well with salt and pepper. Sear the beef all over in a hot pan, and transfer to the slow cooker.
• Add the beef stock, red wine, tomato puree and sugar, ensuring that the beef is mostly covered by the liquid. Cook on low for 5 hours, or high for 3 hours. Once cooked, remove the beef from the slow cooker and cover with foil to keep warm. Rest the beef for up to 30 minutes. If you want to be sure about cooking times, use a meat thermometer - one is linked in the equipment list.
• Reduce the remaining liquid and vegetables in the slow cooker to a gravy consistency, adding 3 tbsp of cornflour to thicken (remove a little liquid, mix in the cornflour to make a paste, and mix it back into the gravy). If you've got a slow cooker with a metal pot (see the equipment list for a recommendation) you can do this by transferring it straight to the hob, if not, you'll need to transfer the contents of the slow cooker to a pan.
• When you're ready to serve, slice the beef with a sharp knife and coat with plenty of red wine gravy!

SLOW COOKER BEEF TOPSIDE WITH RED WINE GRAVY

Steps:

• Crush the peppercorns with the mustard, rosemary, celery seeds and a little salt using a pestle and mortar. Blitz the mushrooms to a fine powder in a food processor, then stir them in with 2 tbsp oil and rub all over the beef. Cover and chill for at least 1 hr, but overnight is best.
• Heat the slow cooker to high and pour in the stock. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan and brown the beef, then put in the slow cooker skin-side up. Fry the carrot, onion and celery in the same pan over a medium-high heat for about 10 mins. Stir in the tomato purée and wine, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan, then add this to the slow cooker.
• Cook on low for 6 hrs, then strain the liquid into a pan. Keep the meat and veg covered with foil so they stay warm. Bring the liquid to the boil, then simmer until reduced by a third and season. For thicker gravy, mix the cornflour with 2 tbsp water and whisk into the boiling liquid. Serve the beef with the gravy, along with some mash and greens.

ROAST BEEF WITH RED WINE & BANANA SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Let the meat come to room temperature for 1 hr before you roast it. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Dry the meat with kitchen paper, then rub the oil all over it. Mix the mustard powder with the sea salt and 1 tsp pepper, then rub this over the meat too. Lay the carrots in a large roasting tin to make a trivet and sit the beef on top, fat-side up.
• Roast for 15 mins, then turn the heat down to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and roast for another 55 mins. This will give you medium beef; for medium-rare, cook for 45 mins. (When it's done, a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the beef should read 65C).
• With 30 mins cooking time left, baste the beef in the fat that has pooled in the tin, add the shallots and bay leaves, and coat these in the fat too. Season and return to the oven. Meanwhile, boil the wine in a small saucepan to reduce it by two-thirds.
• When the meat is ready, transfer to a board, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest. Turn the oven up to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and return the tin to the oven for a further 10-15 mins until the shallots are tender.
• Scoop out the shallots with a slotted spoon and set aside to keep warm. Remove the excess fat from the tin and discard, leaving 1 tbsp fat and all the dark juices behind. Add the flour and cook on the hob for 2 mins, stirring constantly. Gradually whisk in the reduced wine, followed by the stock and redcurrant jelly, scraping up all the tasty bits from the bottom of the tin. Bubble until thickened and rich, add the juices from the resting meat, then season to taste. Discard the carrots. Serve the beef with the gravy and shallots.