🥩 Slow-Cooked Beef with Mustard Mash & Asparagus
Serves
4 people
Prep: ~20 minutes
Cook: 3–4 hours (oven) or 6–8 hours (slow cooker)
🥩 Slow-Cooked Beef
Ingredients
- 1–1.2 kg (2–2½ lb) beef chuck or brisket
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 400 ml (1⅔ cups) beef stock
- 250 ml (1 cup) red wine (optional but 🔥)
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 bay leaves
- 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried)
- Salt & black pepper
Method
- Preheat oven to 160°C / 320°F (or low setting on slow cooker).
- Season the beef generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a large ovenproof pot and brown the beef well on all sides. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, add onion, carrot, and celery. Cook 5–7 minutes until softened.
- Add garlic and tomato purée, cook 1 minute.
- Stir in flour and cook another minute (this thickens the sauce).
- Slowly add wine (if using), scraping up all the good bits. Let it reduce for 2–3 minutes.
- Add stock, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir well.
- Return beef to the pot, cover, and:
- Oven: cook 3–4 hours
- Slow cooker: 6–8 hours on low
Until the beef is fall-apart tender.
- Remove bay leaves and thyme. Taste and adjust seasoning.
🥔 Mustard Mash
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2 lb) potatoes (Maris Piper / Yukon Gold ideal)
- 50 g (¼ cup) butter
- 100 ml (⅓–½ cup) warm milk or cream
- 1½–2 tbsp Dijon or wholegrain mustard (to taste)
- Salt & white or black pepper
Method
- Peel and chop potatoes. Boil in salted water for 15–20 minutes until tender.
- Drain well and let steam dry for a minute.
- Mash with butter, then gradually add warm milk.
- Stir in mustard, season generously, and mash until smooth and fluffy.
🥦 Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 bunch asparagus, woody ends trimmed
- 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
- Salt & pepper
- Optional: lemon zest or parmesan
Method
- Pan-fried: Heat oil/butter in a pan, cook asparagus 3–5 minutes until tender with a little bite.
- Roasted: 200°C / 400°F for 10–12 minutes.
- Finish with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon or shaved parmesan if you’re feeling fancy.
🍽 To Serve
- Spoon a generous bed of mustard mash onto the plate
- Top with slow-cooked beef and plenty of rich gravy
- Add asparagus on the side
- Optional upgrade: fresh parsley or chives over the top
If you want:
- a no-wine version
- a pressure-cooker adaptation
- or a posh dinner-party plating idea
