Blade Steak Casserole

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About the only thing that can go wrong with a steak casserole is if it’s cooked for too short a time or too quickly.  This is an excellent basic recipe.

To serve 4 people you need:

750g of blade steak. You can also use ready prepared cube steak
Flour
Clarified butter
Salt and pepper
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 parsnip, turnip or swede, sliced
500mls beef stock
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
2 sprigs of parsley
1 crushed clove of garlic

Preheat the oven to 170°C, 325°F

Trim the steak and cut it into pieces about 4cms square. This may seem large to you but it will cook better that way.

Take some flour and season it with the salt and black pepper, then roll the meat in it until it is well coated. Shake off any excess.

Heat the butter in a fire-proof casserole dish and brown the meat, a little at a time. Remove and set aside.

Add the vegetables and fry these in the butter and meat juices until they are well colored. Return the meat, add the herbs and garlic, and pour in the stock. Stir well, scraping up any meat residues, cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours.

The casserole will be cooked at the end of this time and can be thickened with cornstarch or arrowroot just before serving.

However it will be greatly improved by cooking for only 90 minutes and leaving overnight to cool. The next day, skim the fat off the top of the stew and bring it to the boil on top of the stove. Then add fresh vegetables and simmer, covered, for a further 30 minutes.

Thicken as before, if necessary.

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