Braised Beef Chilli

Ingredients

• 1 kgbeef, whole braising cut such as brisket or chuck
• 3onions
• 4 clovesgarlic
• olive oil, a dash, for searing
• 300 gchorizo, cooking chorizo, sliced
• 2 tspcumin
• 2 tspallspice
• 1 tspcloves, ground
• 1cinnamon stick, large
• 3bay leaves
• 2 tspdried oregano
• 2ancho chillies, dried; soaked and roughly chopped
• 3 tbspbalsamic vinegar
• 800 gcanned plum tomatoes, 2 x 400g cans
• 2 tbsptomato ketchup
• 2 tbspdark brown sugar
• 800 gborlotti beans, 2 x 400g tins, drained
• 400 mlwater, or red wine for richer flavour

Method

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 120°C (225°F). Take the meat out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Pulse onions and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped.

2. 2

   Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large casserole over high heat. Sear the beef on all sides until golden. Set aside.

3. 3

   Add a splash more oil and brown the chorizo. Remove. In the chorizo oil, cook the onion, garlic, spices, herbs, and chillies until soft. Season, then add the vinegar, tomatoes, ketchup, and sugar.

4. 4

   Return all the meat to the pot with 400 ml water (or red wine). Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook in the low oven for 2 hours.

5. 5

   Add the drained borlotti beans and cook for a further hour. Just before serving, pull the beef apart into chunks using two forks.