1.5kg beef topside,blade or rump, cut into large chunks
200g bacon or pancetta, diced
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs of thyme
3cm strip of orange peel
2 star anise
10 juniper berries
2 celery sticks chopped into pieces approximately 5cm long
3 carrots, cut into thirds
3 onions, quartered
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
400g tinned tomatoes
salt and pepper
150ml red wine
375ml beef stock
Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
Put all the ingredients, except the wine and stock, into a large cast iron pot. Pour in the wine and add enough stock so that it comes ¾ of the way up the ingredients. Cover with a tight fitting lid, place in the oven and cook for 3 hours.
If the sauce needs to thicken, remove the lid and simmer to reduce to your preferred consistency.
Check seasoning before serving with baked potatoes or couscous.
Recipe by Villiers Brown at http://villiersbrown.com/beef-daube/