TRADITIONAL ENGLISH RECIPES

OATY BEEF

This is simple to make but takes a long time in the oven. If you have one of those electric 'slow cookers' - then an ideal dish to slowly cook itself whilst you are out. As the beef chunks slowly release their juices the oats slowly swell and absorb them - making this a far tastier dish than it would first seem - and it is extremely filling too.

Ingredients:
1 lb of cubed stewing steak
2 Onions
2 Leeks
Salt & Pepper
Oat flakes
Beef stock (from a stock cube)

Method :
1. Chop up the onions into small pieces. Do the same with the leaks.
2. Make up about ¾ pint of beef stock with boiling water.
3. Into a deep casserole dish (or non metallic oven proof pot) place the beef cubes, chopped leeks and onions, oat flakes and seasoning. Mix everything up with your hands and then pour on the stock until the level of liquid is just below the top of the meat chunks (Do not brown the meat first and do not flood the pot contents with stock).
4. Put into a lowish oven 250'F (gas mark ½) (120'C) for about 16 hours.
5. Towards the end of this time take out a beef cube and cut through to see if it is cooked. It should 'fall apart' and the oats should have absorbed much of the juice. If it gets a little dry then add a little more water.

Serving suggestion:
Serve with new potatoes or potato slices and runner or green beans.