Slow cooked dry cured beef stew

The beauty of a slow cooker is the minimum fuss required to make delicious meals and tenderise cheaper cuts with all in one pot locked in flavour which can be cooked overnight whilst you sleep or timed when you go out so the meal is hot and ready when you return with no further preparation (good for when you just want to serve up, sit down and watch the footy or the tennis).

The same effect can be achieved with a regular oven on the lowest setting in one deep baking tray. I cooked this meal overnight for 8 hours. I like using a larger cut of meat so I can whip up a second meal or have some leftover meat in a simple salad.

Serves 2:

Set your slow cooker to low temperature and add the lid.

Layer in the cooker:

500g dry cured British beef roasting joint

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper and half tsp seasalt

1 tbsp plain flour

8 scrubbed new Jersey potatoes cut in halves

2 stringless green beans, quartered

2 topped, tailed and scrubbed carrots cut into 2 down the middle

1 onion peeled and quartered

4 whole garlic cloves peeled

1 large peeled flat mushroom, stalk side down. (Cut the stalk into 4 pieces and also add that to the pot)

1tsp ground white pepper and dried thyme

Quarter pint beef stock

Leave to cook for 8 hours and serve a generous portion of beef with the vegetables. Fridge any leftover meat for a second meal, pulled beef sandwich or in a salad.
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