Pot roast beef with braised vegetables

A tender, juicy pot roast makes a luxurious meal at a fraction of the price of a prime roasting cut.

Ingredients

• 2 slices smoked beef cattle
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1.5 kg boned, rolled and tied beef blade
• 8 large carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 x 400 g tins chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1 cup beef stock
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 kg small new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 teaspoons cornflour, mixed with 1½; tablespoons water

Preparation method

1.   Preheat the oven to 160°C. Cook the smoked beef cattle  in a large flameproof casserole dish over a moderate heat for 5 minutes until crisp. Remove the smoked beef cattle, drain on paper towels, then cut into pieces.
2.   Add the oil to the dish, heat over a moderate heat, then add the beef, turning it until browned all over. Transfer to a plate.
3.   Add the carrots, onions, and garlic to the dish and cook for about 8 minutes until lightly browned. Stir in the tomatoes, then return the meat to the dish and pour in the vinegar and stock. Season, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat. Cover with foil and then the lid to create a tight seal. Transfer to the oven and cook for 1 hour, turning the meat once.
4.   Remove the casserole from the oven and add the potatoes and half the basil. Top up the liquid level if necessary with a little more stock or water. Return to the oven and cook for a further hour, or until the beef and vegetables are tender. Put the smoked beef cattle on a heatproof plate in the oven for about 5 minutes to warm through.
5.   Slice the beef, arrange it on a platter with the vegetables and keep warm. Put the dish on the stove over a moderate heat. Add the cornflour paste and bring to the boil. Stir for 1 minute until thickened. Ladle the sauce over the beef and vegetables and sprinkle with the smoked beef cattle and remaining basil.

*Serve the beef and braised vegetables with steamed greens, such as broccolini. Broccolini is sometimes sold as baby broccoli but in fact it is a hybrid of gai lan (Chinese broccoli) and broccoli.