What to eat Wednesdays - Spicy beef casserole

We have lots of interesting cuts of meat in our freezer because we bought some home kill beef off my sister. I was adventurous last week and defrosted the shin on bone, which I've never tried before. I found a wonderful casserole recipe that I modified a bit and that works with any slow cooking cut. (I've tested it again on blade steak and chuck steak and it's always amazing). 

This recipe is frugal, using the cheaper cuts of meat. It's also gluten-free and tasty enough for the whole family to enjoy.


Ingredients

• 500g (or more) tough beef, cubed (shin on bone, gravy beef, blade steak or chuck steak)
• 2 carrots, peeled and angle sliced
• 1/2c tomato sauce/ketchup
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 3T tamari soy sauce (gluten-free)
• 1t honey
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1t grated fresh ginger
• Cornflour to thicken

Method
1. Trim outer skin and any fat or gristle from beef. Cut into 2cm x 2cm cubes and place in a casserole dish or slow cooker. 


2. Peel and angle slice carrots. Add to casserole dish or slow cooker.


3. Combine tomato sauce, chopped tomatoes/water, soy sauce, honey, garlic and ginger (I also chucked in a few chopped strawberries from the garden for sweetness) and pour over meat.

4. If cooking in a casserole dish, cover well and cook at 150°C for about three hours, or until beef is tender. If using a slow cooker, cook on low for 4-8 hours (depending on the speed of your slow cooker. I have a speedy cooker so I cook for 4 hours.) 

5. 10 minutes before serving, thicken if desired with cornflour mixed to a light paste with cold water. Stir in paste and simmer for the last 10 minutes of cooking. 


6. Serve with side vegetables and mashed potatoes to mop up the casserole juices.