Cottage Pie

Dice the onion, carrot and celery. In a heavy based frying pan over high heat, stir-fry them until soft (about 4min). Add the meat and garlic, stir for a further 4min until brown. Pour in the wine and let it reduce almost completely. Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, the herbs tied with a string (bouquet garni), the stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the thickened. Season well with salt and pepper.

Boil the potatoes, skin on, until you can easily stick a knife through them. Strain, peel and mash with butter. Stir in the egg yolks and season with salt and pepper.

Pull out the tied herbs and spoon the meat into the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Layer the mash all over it and form peaks with a fork. Sprinkle it with the parmesan cheese and bake in a 180C/350F oven for about 20min, until golden.

Guinness Beef Stew

Heat a heavy based casserole and add the oil. Brown the meat on all sides on a high heat, dusting it with the flour as you stir. You can do it in batches, not to overcrowd the pan. Remove the meat from the pan. Add the chopped onion and cook for a few minutes until it is softened. Add the carrot, cut into 1cm rounds, and the herbs and stir for 2min. Return the meat to the casserole and cover it with the stock and the stout. Bring it to the boil, turn down the heat and add the prunes. Simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hour, until the meat is very tender and the sauce thickened. If it starts to loose too much water, add a little during cooking. Correct seasoning, add the chopped parsley and serve with mash or cooked quartered potatoes.

Lasagna Bolognese

Bolognese sauce: cut pork and beef into cubes and the pancetta into thin strands. Chop the carrots, celery and onion. In a pan, brown the meat in olive oil. Do it in batches so as not to overload the pan. Drain the excess fat and set aside. In the same pan, add the chopped vegetables until soft. Add the thyme, rosemary and wine. Let wine reduce to a quarter, then return the meat, tomatoes and enough water to cover the meat. Cook over a very low heat or inside the oven at 150C, lid on, for around 2h30min. The sauce is ready when it’s thick and the meat is falling apart. Béchamel sauce: mix the soft butter and flour to form a paste and chill. Heat the milk in a saucepan and add the butter+flour. Stir until melted, boil until thickened and season. Cook the lasagna sheets according to the manufacturer’s instructions and assemble:in a greased ovenproof dish, line at least 3 layers of noodles, bolognese sauce, béchamel and sprinkle each with parmesan. Bake until golden in a 200C/375F oven.

Basic Bolognese Sauce

Cut pork and beef into cubes and the pancetta into thin strands. Chop the carrots, celery and onion. In a pan, brown the meat in olive oil. Do it in batches so as not to overload the pan. Drain the excess fat and set aside. In the same pan, add the chopped vegetables until soft. Add the thyme, rosemary and wine. Let the wine reduce to a quarter, then return the meat, tomatoes and enough water to cover the meat. Cook over a very low heat or inside the oven at 150C, lid on, for around 2h30min. The sauce is ready when it’s thick and the meat is falling apart. Always finish it with a bit of butter, chopped parsley and parmesan before serving.

Basic Meatballs (Polpette)

Cut the bread into pieces and soak it with a little milk for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess milk. In a bowl, mix the beef, mortadella, eggs, parmesan, parsley, soaked bread, pignoli (optional), finely chopped garlic, salt and pepper to taste. With your hands, make 7-8cm (diameter) meatballs. Then, gently squeeze them into a light cylinder shape. Optionally, you can coat them with some breadcrumbs or flour. Fry them in medium-hot oil so they cook all the way through (about 10 minutes). You can make smaller balls if you want them to cook quicker. Drain them on kitchen paper and serve.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Cut the pork and beef into cubes and the pancetta into thin strands. Chop the carrots, celery and onion. In a pan, brown the meat in olive oil. Do it in batches so as not to overload the pan. Drain the excess fat and set aside. In the same pan, add the chopped vegetables until soft. Add the thyme, rosemary and wine. Let the wine reduce to a quarter, then return the meat, tomatoes and enough water to cover the meat. Cook over a very low heat or inside the oven at 150C, lid on, for around 2h30min. The sauce is ready when it’s thick and the meat is falling apart. Place a large pan with abundant salted water to boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Ladle 4 tablespoon of the sauce into a large frying pan and heat. Add the butter, chopped parsley, grated parmesan, lemon juice and mix. Drain the pasta (but not too much) and toss it into the sauce to coat it. Serve.

Goulash

Season the beef with salt and pepper. Brown the onions in lard and add the beef and paprika. Lower the heat and let the beef simmer over a very low heat for around 1 h. Add the bay leaves, potatoes and water. Let it cook until the potatoes are soft and the beef is tender. If needed, add more water during cooking so that the sauce is rich but not too heavy. Serve with rice or pasta.

Beef and Aubergine Curry

Slice the beef into strips. In a hot wok with oil, add the curry paste. Cook for 1 min, add the meat in batches and stir-fry until lightly browned. Remove the meat and set aside. Add the coconut milk, water and lime leaves. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 12 min. Add the diced aubergine and cook for 5-10 min. Return the beef and simmer for 3min. Season with the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with jasmine rice.

Beef Carpaccio with Baby Rocket Salad and Gorgonzola

If you want your carpaccio to be round, you can wrap it very tightly with cling film and leave it in the freezer for about an hour. Freeze it only partially, so you`ll be able slice it more easily with a sharp knife. Don`t cut it too thin, so that it stays more rustic and the flavour remains intense. Whisk together the mustard, lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper to taste. Season the baby rocket with this vinaigrette at the last moment and serve it on top the meat, along with crushed walnuts and crumbled cheese

Beef Stroganoff

Cut the meat into 1,5cm strips or cubes and mix with flour, salt and pepper. Brown the meat in a hot pan with butter in batches, if necessary, and set aside. In the same pan, fry the chopped onions until softened and sweat mushrooms cut into quarters. Add the meat back to the pan, pour in the vodka and flambé it. Stir in the cream and mustard, and bring to boil (if too thick, add a bit of water or white wine). Adjust the seasoning and serve with white rice, buckwheat or potatoes.