Peppered Beef with Balsamic Vinegar, Molasses and Garlic

Name: Peppered Beef with Balsamic Vinegar, Molasses and Garlic
Yield: Serves 4–6 as a main meal
Ingredients: thyme, dried oregano or winter savory (or a mixture) 2 tbsp; blackstrap molasses or strong honey 3 tbsp; garlic cloves 6, peeled and left whole; black peppercorns 2 tbsp, cracked; shin of beef 1.3 kg/3 lb, cut into 4 cm/1½ in chunks; short pasta shapes such as rigatoni or maccheroni, to serve; balsamic vinegar 4 tbsp; garlic cloves 3, crushed; pickling onions 450 g/1 lb, peeled; black peppercorns 2 tsp, cracked; fresh bay leaves 4; beef stock 300 ml/½ pint, preferably home-made; tomato purée 3 tbsp; sea salt 1½ tsp; red wine 400 ml/14 fl oz; olive oil 3 tbsp

Preparation info

Serves
4–6
as a main meal

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Pepper

By Christine McFadden

Published 2008

About

A glorious lip-smacking stew with rich, chestnut-brown, glossy gravy – perfect for winter weekends. It is hot and peppery but also slightly sweet, and balanced by a welcome touch of sharpness from the vinegar and red wine.

Ingredients

shin of beef 1.3 kg/3 lb, cut into 4 cm/1½

Main course
Winter

Method

Stir the marinade ingredients together in a shallow bowl. Add the meat, making sure it’s evenly coated. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for 2–24 hours – the longer the better. Give it a stir every so often.

Tip the meat and marinade into a sieve set over a bowl. Reserve the liquid and season the meat with the sea salt. Preheat t