Prep 20 mins • Cook 20 mins • Serves 4.
Beef Marengo
Prep 20 mins • Cook 20 mins • Serves 4
• 2 tbsps olive oil • 1 kg chuck steak or gravy beef, trimmed, cubed • ¼ cup seasoned plain flour • 1 tsp smoked paprika • 1 small kumara, peeled, chopped • 1 fennel bulb, trimmed, sliced (fronds reserved) • 1 green capsicum, seeded, chopped • 125 g button mushrooms • 1 clove garlic, crushed • 2 cups beef stock • 1 can (420 g) cream of mushroom soup • 1 can (400 g) diced tomatoes • ½ cup red wine • 1/3 cup pitted black olives • Sour cream, crusty bread, to serve
1 Preheat oven to moderate, 180 C.
2 In a large, flameproof casserole dish, heat oil on high. Dust beef in combined flour and paprika. Brown in 2 batches, 4 to 5 mins each.
3 In the same dish, saute kumara, fennel, capsicum, mushrooms and garlic 3 to 4 mins until beginning to colour.
4 Stir in stock, soup, tomatoes and wine. Season to taste.
5 Bake, covered, 1¼ hours, until meat is tender. Stir in olives. Garnish with fennel fronds. Serve with sour cream and bread.
Tip: The Right Cut These cuts of meat are perfect for casseroles:
• BEEF Blade, brisket, chuck, gravy, topside, silverside. • VEAL Knuckle (osso bucco), leg, shoulder • LAMB Neck, forequarter, shank, shoulder, leg • PORK Shoulder, hock, forequarter, leg • CHICKEN Drumsticks, thigh fillets or cutlets, chicken pieces
