Braised beef in red wine with dumplings

For the beef:

• Braising steak 500g, diced
• Vegetable oil 50g
• Salt 5g
• Pepper pinch
• Smoked bacon lardons 100g
• Garlic 4 cloves, chopped
• Tomato paste 50g
• Red wine 250ml
• Chicken stock 1 litre
• Bay leaves 2
• Button onions or shallots 100g, peeled
• Parsley 50g, chopped

For the dumplings:

• Self raising flour 200g
• Salt 5g
• Suet 100g
• Parsley 10g, chopped
• Water

1. Pre heat the oven to 180°c / gas 4.
2. For the beef: place a large pan on a high heat and add the oil. Once the oil is hot, add the beef and season with the salt and pepper. When brown all over, add the bacon lardons and the garlic followed by the tomato paste. Stir and allow to bind with all of the meat.
3. Add the red wine and heat until reduced by half. Add the chicken stock and the bay leaves; this can now be placed into a pre heated oven for 1½-2 hours or alternatively cooked at a simmer on the stove top.
4. After about an hour, add all of the button onions and continue to cook for another 30 minutes or until the meat is tender. Allow the mixture to cool slightly then remove the meat from the pan and reduce the sauce if it’s a bit thin. Add the chopped parsley.
5. For the dumplings: while the mixture is cooling, sieve the flour and add the salt, suet and parsley. Mix gradually with enough water to bring it together to a dough.
6. Place the beef into a large dish and spoon the dumplings on top – each about the size of a golf ball. Put in oven at 180°c / gas 4 for a further 15 minutes or until the dumplings are browned.
7. Serve with buttery creamed potatoes and winter veg.