Spiced Beef with Horseradish

The warm spiciness of this casserole is achieved with a mixture of creamed horseradish, ginger and curry powder. It may sound an unusual combination but long, slow cooking develops and mellows all the flavours.

Serves 2

1 small onion, chopped, or 30 ml/2 tbsp frozen diced onion
15 ml/1 tbsp creamed horseradish sauce
10 ml/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
250 ml/8 fl oz/1 cup very hot (not boiling) beef stock
5 ml/1 tsp plain (all-purpose) flour
2.5 ml/½ tsp medium curry powder
1.25 ml/¼ tsp ground ginger
2.5 ml/½ tsp dark brown sugar
350 g/12 oz cubed lean braising or chuck steak
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
30 ml/2 tbsp fresh or frozen chopped parsley

1. Put the onion in the ceramic cooking pot. Stir the horseradish and Worcestershire sauce into the stock and pour over the onion. Switch on the slow cooker to Low and leave for 3-4 minutes while measuring and preparing the rest of the ingredients.
2. Mix together the flour, curry powder, ginger and sugar in a bowl. Add the beef and toss to coat the cubes evenly in the spice mixture. Add to the pot and season with salt and pepper.
3. Cover with the lid and cook for 4-6 hours or until the beef is really tender.
4. Stir in the parsley, taste and re-season, if necessary. Spoon half the spiced beef into a bowl or freezer container and allow to cool. Serve the remainder at once with creamed potatoes or rice and a green vegetable.

Second serving
Either cover the cooled spiced beef and chill in the fridge for the following day, or freeze for up to a month. If frozen, allow to defrost in the fridge overnight. To serve, heat gently in a saucepan, bubbling for a few minutes to ensure that the beef is piping hot.

Cook's tip
Use ginger purée (paste) and curry paste instead of the ground ginger and curry powder, if you prefer.

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