Slow Cooked Beef with Gnocchi

A warming tomato based slow cook casserole made with cubes of boneless shin or chuck steak and warm spices like cayenne pepper and paprika. You'll love the fresh gnocchi stirred in towards the end of the cooking time.

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients

  • 450g lean boneless shin or chuck steak, cut into 2.5cm cubes
  • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 teaspoon ground paprika
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped or crushed
  • 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
  • 200ml good, hot vegetable stock
  • 1 cinnamon stick, halved
  • 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon tomato purée
  • 1 x 400g pack fresh gnocchi
  • 2 tablespoons freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Method

  1. Place the beef in a large plastic food bag.  Add the seasoning, cayenne and paprika; seal, shake well to coat the beef in the spices.

  2. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan.

  3. Cook the beef for 4-5 minutes in batches until brown on all sides.  Transfer to a 1.7L heatproof casserole pot.

  4. In the same frying pan, cook the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes.  Spoon into the casserole pot.

  5. Add the tomatoes and stock, cinnamon, sugar and tomato purée.  Bring this to the boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 2-2½ hours.

  6. 6. 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time add the gnocchi.

  7. 7. Garnish with the parsley and serve with crusty bread.

Tips:

If preferred substitute the gnocchi for freshly cooked pasta shapes.