Levi's delicious beef pot roast
Levi Roots serves up a roast dinner with a difference - his Caribbean-inspired beef pot roast!
Serves: 6-8Prep: 15 minutes, plus marinating timeCook: Approximately 3 hours
Ingredients:1.8kg topside beef4 sprigs of thyme2 cloves garlic2cm root ginger - finely chopped1 red or scotch bonnet chilli2 spring onions, green part only, finely chopped2 tbsp soy sauce3 tbsp soft dark brown sugar2 tbsp malt vinegar2 tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil1 onion, coarsely chopped1 stick celery, diced2 plum tomatoes chopped150ml beef stock, plus a little extra for topping up10 small waxy potatoes, peeled4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
Method:
Wash the beef joint, pat it dry with kitchen paper and put it into a non-metallic dish. With a sharp knife make small, deep incisions all over the surface of the meat.
Blend the thyme, garlic, ginger, chilli and spring onions in a blender or pestle and mortar to a chunky paste. Push this paste into all the slits on the beef.
Combine the soy sauce, sugar and vinegar in a small bowl and rub the mixture all over the beef. Cover the meat and put it in the fridge to marinate for at least 4 hours, turning the joint every so often.
Lift the beef from the marinade and wipe away excess moisture or it will not brown. Reserve the leftover marinade. Season the meat all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole that has a lid and brown the meat on all sides. Remove the meat from the pan.
Add the onion and celery and cook on a medium heat until soft. Stir in the tomatoes, stock and any leftover marinade. Bring to the boil, replace the meat and lower the heat.
Partially cover the casserole with a lid and cook for 2 hours, turning the joint halfway through and topping up with a little extra stock, if needed.
Add the potatoes and carrots, replace the lid and cook for a further 40 minutes or until tender. Adjust the seasoning if necessary.
To serve, slice the meat thickly and serve each person with beef, vegetables and some spicy sauce.
Note: Scotch Bonnet chillies are best handled with disposable gloves, or wash hands thoroughly after touching.