The Hairy Bikers' smoky chilli beef crumble
Hairy Bikers Si King and Dave Myers will be cooking up a delicious savoury crumble from their latest cookbook ‘Ultimate Comfort Food’. Filled with succulent spicy chilli beef and topped with a cheesy corn crust, it’s the ultimate winter warmer.
Smoky chilli beef and corn crumble
Serves: 4
Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil or lard 700g stewing beef or braising steak, diced 150g smoked bacon lardons 2 onions, finely chopped 1 green pepper, diced 2 bay leaves 2 tsp dried oregano 2 tbsp tomato purée 2 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp garlic powder ½ tsp ground allspice 1 tbsp cocoa powder 2 tsp light brown soft sugar 200ml stout (a chocolate one is good for this) 200ml beef stock 2 × 400g cans of red kidney or pinto beans Salt and black pepper
Crust: 175g plain flour 175g medium/coarse cornmeal 1 tsp baking powder 175g butter 75g buttermilk 100g sweetcorn 100g Cheddar cheese, grated
Method
1. Heat half the oil or lard in a large flameproof casserole dish. Season the beef with salt and pepper and sear it until well browned - you will probably have to do this in at least 2 batches. Transfer each batch to a plate and set aside.
2. Add the remaining oil or lard to the casserole dish, then add the bacon, onions and green pepper. Saute for a few minutes over a medium-high heat, so the bacon crisps up and the onion takes on some colour, then add the herbs, tomato purée, spices, cocoa and sugar. Stir for a few minutes until a grainy paste forms around the vegetables and the mixture smells rich, slightly caramelised, and spicy.
3. Add the stout and stock to the casserole dish and deglaze the base thoroughly, scraping up any sticky bits. Put the beef back in the dish and add the beans, then season with plenty of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and partially cover the dish with a lid. Leave to simmer for 1-1½ hours until the beef is tender and the sauce has reduced to a well-flavoured gravy.
4. Transfer the filling to an ovenproof dish, removing the bay leaves when you find them. Reserve some of the cooking liquid to add at the table if there seems to be too much of it. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Fan 180°C/Gas 6.
5. To make the crust, put the flour, cornmeal and baking powder into a bowl with a generous pinch of salt. Rub in the butter, then stir in the buttermilk and the mixture should clump together a bit. Stir in the sweetcorn and half the cheese. Sprinkle the mixture over the filling and top with the rest of the grated cheese.
6. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until the topping is lightly browned and crisp, and the filling is bubbling up underneath.