Ingredients
- 1kg stewing beef, cut into bite-size pieces
- 700g baby onions or shallots
- Olive oil
- 250ml tomato passata
- 300ml red wine (I sometimes use balsamic instead)
- 4tbsp red wine vinegar
- 4garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 5 whole cloves
- Sea salt and black pepper
- To serve:
- Cooked orzo
1 Mix the red wine, vinegar, garlic, cloves, cinnamon and seasoning in a glass or ceramic bowl. Add the beef and stir well to ensure the meat is entirely covered in marinade. Cover and place in the fridge for at least an hour, preferably overnight.
2 Heat a tablespoon of oil over a medium heat in a heavy-based pan. Add the onions and saute for about 10 minutes until golden. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.
3 Add a further tablespoon of oil and increase the heat. Saute the meat until it begins to brown, add the remaining marinade, onions and tomato passata. Bring to the boil then lower the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 1½ to two hours. Stir regularly to ensure it's not sticking. The sauce should be thick and rich.
4 Serve with large bowls of buttery orzo.
