Beef Pot Roast

Ingredients

• Beef brisket or topside joint
• 1 large red onion
• 2 sticks celery
• 2 carrots
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 bottle full bodied red wine (Shiraz, Pinot Noir are good choices)
• 40g dried mushrooms
• 1 dessert spoon fish sauce
• 1 dessert spoon Worcestershire sauce
• Bouquet garni
• 1 beef stock cube
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 1 good squeeze tomato puree

Directions

Preheat the oven to 140degC.

Heat a large cast iron casserole to a high heat.

Whilst you're waiting for the pan to heat up, pat the meat dry, and cover liberally in salt and pepper.

When the casserole is smoking, use a pair of tongs and brown the meat on all sides. Set it aside and turn the heat right down.

Peel the onion, and carrot. Wash and trim the celery. Roughly chop these into chunks of about 1.5cm each. We're going for "rustic" here, so no need to be too delicate with it.

Put a glug of olive oil in the casserole and turn up the heat a little. Add the chopped vegetables and stir as they start to brown, about 10 minutes.

Peel and crush the garlic, add to the pot, and stir for another 5 minutes or so.

Pour the bottle of wine in. Yep, the whole bottle. I won't judge if you pour yourself a glass first though.

Add the remaining ingredients and stir to get everything mixed together.

Put the beef joint back in the casserole, and add water until the beef is about 3/4 covered.

Put the lid on the casserole and put it in the oven.

Cook for at least 2.5hours, or as long as 4.

Lift the beef out of the pot, cover it with foil, and leave to rest.

Meanwhile put the casserole back on the hob, uncovered, with the heat up to a high simmer. We're aiming to reduce and thicken the liquid - I usually give it about 30 minutes before getting bored and thickening the sauce with cornflour.

Slice the brisket and serve with the sauce on mashed potatoes, with green vegetables, and some more red wine.