Pot Roast Beef

Ingredients
1.25kg Beef (topside or silverside)
2 Large Onions (quartered)
2 Carrots (cut into 1cm long chunks)
1 Bouquet Garni (or 2 Sprigs each Thyme, parsley and Marjoram)
4 Black Pepper Corns
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
150ml Red Wine
450ml Water
2 Teaspoons Cornflour
4 Tablespoons Oil
25g Butter

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Frying Pan
1 Casserole Dish With Lid
Silver Foil
1 Slotted Spoon
1 Cup

The Good Bit

1. Pre heat the oven to 150c 300f gas 2. Heat the oil and butter in the frying pan and cook the beef until browned evenly all over. remove and place in the casserole dish, surround with the vegetables, add the herbs, salt and peppercorns and top up with the wine and water.
2. Cover with foil then the lid and place in the oven for 3 hours.
3. Pull the beef out when done and leave to rest on a serving plate, surround it with the vegetables, discard the bouquet garni (or sprigs) and transfer the juices to the frying pan and bring to the boil.
4. In the cup add the cornflour and approximately 1 1/2 teaspoons of water, mix until you have a smooth paste then add a little of the gravy, stir well then pour this mixture into the frying pan too stirring continuously, if the sauce is too thick just add a little water. pour the sauce over the beef and vegetables and serve
   

Serves 4

Beef Stock

Ingredients
750g Beef (not mince, just some cheap bits chopped into cubes will do)
2 Onions (chopped)
2-3 Carrots
2 Celery Sticks
1 Bay Leaf
1 Bouquet Garni
6 Peppercorns
1.8l Water

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Large Pan
1 Sieve
Muslin/Cloth

The Good Bit

1. Bring all the ingredients in the pan slowly to the boil then reduce the heat to a low simmer, cover and cook for 4hrs.
2. Remove any scum from the surface then strain through a cloth lined sieve, leave to cool before refrigerating. This will keep for a few days in the fridge before you have to reboil it, or once strained, boil rapidly to reduce by half then freeze, when you come to need stock, defrost half of what you need and then make up the rest with water.

Makes 1.5l

Vegetable Stock

Ingredients
500g Chopped Mixed Vegetables (carrots, onions, mushrooms, celery, leeks, anything you want, just avoid potatoes as these make the stock cloudy, unless you dont mind it like that)
1 Clove Garlic
6 Black Peppercorns
1 Bouquet Garni
1.2l Water

Equipment
1 Large Pan
1 Wooden Spoon
1 Sieve (or you could use a muslin cloth)

The Good Bit

1. Put all the ingredients in the pan and bring to the boil gradually, turn down the heat and simmer for 30mins, skimming any scum off the top surface.
2. Stain the stock and allow to cool completely before storing in the fridge, if you keep it in the fridge it'll last 2-3 days before you need to reboil it (it'll last ages if you keep it like this) or boil the strained stock until reduced by half and well concentrated then once cool, freeze it and when you need it, melt 1/2 of your recipe needs and make the rest up with water.

Makes 1l