Make beef the chief of your plate

What is Great British Beef Week?

Ladies in Beef co-founder, Minette Batters, explains: “We established Great British Beef Week to provide us with a PR tool to help raise awareness of the excellent quality beef produced in this country. In the first year we had backing from four of the major multiple retailers as well as many independent butchers throughout the country. This year we have decided to use the week to raise a substantial sum for Help for Heroes. Auction marts and butchers will all be able to apply for fundraising packs, plus we have the likes of Tesco and Asda supporting the week with on-pack stickers and Ladies in Beef producer stories in their in-house magazines.

Who’s involved?

• The Great British Beef campaign is spearheaded by the NFU in partnership with Ladies in Beef.
  
  
  
• Farmer’s daughter and former OXO mum Lynda Bellingham is the face of the wider Great British Beef campaign
  
  
  
• Jim Paice is getting on a Red Tractor outside Westminster on St George’s Day to promote the event
  
  
  
• Asda has donated £10,000 to the campaign’s designated charity, Help for Heroes.
  

How to join in

Apply for a poster and a Help for Heroes fundraising pack by calling 0845 491 8787. Have you got any other plans for Great British Beef Week? Are you planning an event, hosting a dinner party or running a special beef promotion or offer for your customers? Tell us about it on our forums and add your pictures to our Beef Week gallery or email rachel.jones@rbi.co.uk with all the details of what you’re doing.

Pineapple-glazed beef

Take a classic topside or sirloin joint, add the tropical flavour of crushed pineapple and here’s what you get – tender and sticky sweet pineapple-glazed beef.

• 1.25-1.3kg/21⁄2-3lb lean beef topside or silverside joint
  
  
  
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper
  
  
  
• 1⁄2 x 425g can crushed pineapple in natural fruit juice
  
  
  
• 10ml/2tsp Chinese five-spice powder
  
  
  
• 60ml/4tbsp light soy sauce
  
  
  
• 60ml/4tbsp sweet chilli sauce
  
  
  
• 30ml/2tbsp sesame oil
  

Preheat the oven to gas mark 4-5 (180-190C, 350-375F). Place the joint on a chopping board, and make a few incisions all over. Season well and transfer to a large shallow dish. In a small bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. Transfer half the marinade mixture into a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until required. Brush the remaining mixture over the joint. Cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Brush any marinade off the top surface of the joint and reserve any mixture from the marinade dish. Place on a metal rack in a large non-stick roasting tin and open roast for the preferred, calculated cooking time, basting occasionally with any beef juices. Cover the joint with foil if browning too quickly. Twenty minutes before the end of cooking, brush the joint with the remaining marinade from the dish and return to the oven uncovered. Serve with joint with stir-fried vegetables, egg noodles and the remaining fresh marinade from the fridge.

(Source: EBLEX)

Tangy meatballs with noodles

The perfect beef dish in a hurry, these tangy meatballs can be prepared in 20 minutes. Flavours of lemon, fresh ginger, garlic and mango chutney give the meat a fresh, fruity edge.

• 450g/1lb lean beef or lamb mince
  
  
  
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper
  
  
  
• Grated zest of 1 lemon or 1⁄2 fresh lemongrass stalk, finely chopped
  
  
  
• 1 x 5cm/2inch piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
  
  
  
• 30ml/2tbsp mango chutney
  
  
  
• 60ml/4tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
  
  
  
• 1-2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced
  
  
  
• 250g/9oz cherry tomatoes, quartered
  
  
  
• 600g/1lb 5oz cooked egg noodles
  
  
  
• 1 x 100g bag rocket or baby spinach leaves
  
  
  
• 30ml/2tbsp freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
  
  
  
• Toasted pine nuts, to garnish
  

Preheat the oven to gas mark 5, 190C, 375F. Place the mince in a large bowl. Season and add the lemon zest or lemongrass, ginger and chutney. Using damp hands, shape the mixture into 24 2.5cm/1inch balls. Transfer to a non-stick roasting tray and cook for 15 minutes or until any meat juices run clear. Discard any meat juices. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large non-stick pan and cook the garlic for 2-3 minutes with the cherry tomatoes. Add the cooked noodles and heat through for 1-2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the meatballs, rocket or spinach leaves. Gently toss to combine. Garnish with the parsley and pine nuts and serve immediately.

Beef-stuffed peppers

Beef mince tends to end up in cottage pies, bologneses and burgers, so this recipe adds another dish to your usual mince repertoire.

• 375g/12oz lean beef mince
  
  
  
• 3 large red peppers
  
  
  
• 15ml/1tbsp olive oil
  
  
  
• 1⁄2 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
  
  
  
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  
  
  
• 1 celery stick, finely chopped
  
  
  
• 250g/9oz antipasti prepared roasted vegetables, roughly chopped
  
  
  
• 200ml/7floz tomato passata
  
  
  
• 15ml/1tbsp freshly chopped oregano or 5ml/1tsp dried oregano
  
  
  
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper
  
  
  
• 50g/2oz grated cheese
  
  
  
• Fresh thyme sprigs, to garnish
  

Preheat the oven to gas mark 6, 200C, 400F. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and membrane. Place on a baking tray, drizzle with the oil and roast for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick frying pan and dry fry the mince, onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes, until the mince is brown, breaking up any lumps. Drain excess meat juices from the pan and transfer to a large bowl. Add the roasted vegetables, passata, celery, oregano and seasoning. Remove the peppers, add the filling, cover with foil and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes. Sprinkle over the cheese and return to the oven for a further 5 minutes or until the cheese melts. Garnish with the thyme leaves and serve immediately.

(Source: EBLEX)

Red beef casserole

Annie Yeo, from Blunts in Cornwall, submitted this via our online recipe form. 

“It’s called a ‘red beef casserole’ because most ingredients are red,” says Annie. “It’s best served with mashed potatoes or tagliatelle, and it also makes a great pie filling with a kick. I think lovers of traditional beef stew will love this twist on an old classic.”

• 500g stewing beef
  
  
  
• 2 tblsp olive oil
  
  
  
• 1 onion
  
  
  
• 1 garlic clove
  
  
  
• 1 red pepper
  
  
  
• 1 large carrot roughly chopped
  
  
  
• 2 tsp harrissa paste
  
  
  
• 1 tblsp tomato puree
  
  
  
• 200ml red wine
  
  
  
• 250ml beef stock
  
  
  
• 1 cinnamon stick
  
  
  
• 2 bay leaves
  
  
  
• 2 tsp honey
  
  
  
• 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
  
  
  
• 50g plain flour
  
  
  
• Salt and pepper to season
  

Dice the beef into 2cm cubes and toss in seasoned flour and brown in a little olive oil. Remove the beef from the pan, add a little more oil and sauté the onions peppers, carrot and garlic for approximately 5 minutes until softened. Return the beef to the pan with the vegetables and add harissa, tomato puree and cook gently for 2 minutes. Add the red wine, stock honey and mustard, season to taste and cook at 160C for 2 hours.