Once you have followed this recipe a couple of times, you should only need to refer to the list of ingredients as a reminder, as the preparation process is simple. The dish can either be cooked in an oven, Slow Cooker or in a large cooking pot on a stove. The benefits of an oven or slow cooker are clear as you can leave it to do its job. On a stove, you may need to keep an eye on it. I use beef topside steaks (sometimes referred to as ‘frying steaks’ or ‘beef steaks’ in the supermarket). You can of course use any type of cheaper cut of beef. Don’t waste money on ‘premium beef steaks’ as they are not conducive to long slow cooking.

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BEEF BOURGUIGNON

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• Dust the beef in flour and brown off in vegetable or olive oil in a hot frying pan for 2 to 3 minutes

• Place the beef into your casserole pot or Slow Cooker

• Slice the bacon into pieces and in the same pan, fry off until brown on the edges and add to the pot

• Add carrots, shallots, button mushrooms and cloves of garlic

• Add a generous splash of Worcestershire sauce (around 1 tbsp) and the same of balsamic vinegar

• Add the bay leaves and a few sprigs of thyme (around 1 tbsp if dried)

• Season with 1 tsp of salt and a healthy grind of black pepper and add the packet sauce mix

• Pour in the entire bottle of red wine and use the beef stock to completely cover all of the ingredients in the pot

• Tip: Beef stock cubes or concentrated beef stock pots are great, just crumble in and use cold water to top up

• Marinade in the fridge overnight for 12 hours

• Give it a good stir, cover with a lid or foil and place in the oven or slow cooker for at around 4 to 6 hrs at 130°C

• At the end of the cooking time, remove the bay leaves and thyme storks and check the seasoning. If necessary thicken the sauce with 2 tsps. of cornflour mixed into a little cold water