Slow-cooked blade steak and gravy

The gristle that makes blade a poor quick steak is what makes it a great slow one. Three hours in a low oven and it turns to gravy.

Serves

4 people

Prep

15 minutes

Cook

3 hours

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Start with 1 kg of blade steak. Chuck steak braises the same way and takes the same time.

Do not trim the gristle out before cooking. It melts into the gravy and gives it body. Trim after, if you want to, but by then there is little left to trim.

Ingredients

• 1 kg blade steak, cut into large pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 brown onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 500 ml beef stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 sprigs thyme
• Salt and cracked black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 160°C. Season the beef. Heat the oil in a heavy casserole pot over high heat. Brown the beef in two batches, 3 minutes a batch. Lift it onto a plate.
2. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion and carrot. Cook for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the flour and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the stock a little at a time, stirring. Add the Worcestershire sauce and thyme. Return the beef and its juices.
5. Bring to a simmer. Cover and put the pot in the oven for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, until the beef falls apart under a fork.
6. Take out the thyme stalks. Taste the gravy and season.

Serve it

Serve over mash or with crusty bread and steamed greens.