Spiced beef & onions

serves 4
ingredients
50ml/2fl oz olive oil
700g/11⁄2lb baby onions
900g/2lb chuck steak, trimmed and
cut into bite-size cubes
3 garlic cloves, halved lengthways
125ml/4fl oz red wine
1 cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons tomato purée
375ml/13fl oz water
2 tablespoons currants
salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large heavy saucepan. Add the
onions and sauté, stirring, for 5 minutes or until golden. Remove from the
pan and drain on kitchen paper.
• Add the meat to the pan, and stir over a high heat for 10 minutes or
until the meat is well browned and almost all the liquid has evaporated.
• Add the garlic, wine, spices, bay leaf, vinegar and tomato purée.
Season with salt and pepper. Pour 375ml/13fl oz water into the pan,
and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour,
stirring occasionally.
• Return the onions to the saucepan, add the currants and stir gently.
Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Discard the cinnamon before serving.