Vintage Beef Olives

This old recipe for stuffed beef parcels stewed in hearty stock makes a surprisingly tasty contemporary meal. It's a perfect way to showcase the rich and savory flavor of beef.

Course Main Course

Cuisine British

Keyword beef

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 2 30

Servings

Calories 258kcal

Author Lea

Equipment

meat tenderizer
casserole dish with a lid

Ingredients

6 beef steaks (thin-cut) Use the off-cuts and chop them with the bacon to make the filling.
2 streaks of bacon
35 g suet
55 g breadcrumbs
1 egg
1 teaspoon dry marjoram
1 teaspoon dry oregano
1 tsp dry thyme
a pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper
1 l strong beef stock Use around 4 tablespoons for the filling.

Instructions

Prepare the meat:

Tenderise the thinly cut beef steaks; make them into similar sizes by cutting off the uneven edges and excess meat (you will need the off-cuts for the stuffing); season with salt and pepper.

Make the stuffing:

Thoroughly chop the beef off-cuts and bacon, so it resembles minced meat.
Combine chopped meat with breadcrumbs, suet, herbs, nutmeg, egg and a few tablespoons of beef stock, carefully adding the stock in small steps to achieve a paste-like consistency; season with salt and pepper.

Assemble the olives:

Spread the stuffing over the beef, and roll the meat up; fasten it with string or a couple of wooden toothpicks.
Tip: Fry the meat in the dish you plan to use for stewing. It will save you some washing and keep all the flavours in the pot.
If stewing in the oven, ensure the dish is suitable for that purpose; I recommend a casserole pot with a lid that can snugly hold all six meat parcels.

Cook the meat:

Heat up around a tablespoon of lard or suet; fry the meat parcels to brown them; work in batches.
Tip: Fry the meat in the dish you plan to use for stewing. It will save you some washing and keep all the flavours in the pot. If stewing is done in the oven, ensure the dish is suitable for that purpose; I recommend a casserole pot with a lid that can snugly hold all six meat parcels.
Set the browned meat aside and pour the stock carefully onto the hot oil; give it a good stir to release any bits stuck to the bottom during frying.
Place the meat parcels back; cover the pot with a lid and let it stew on the stovetop on medium-low heat or in the oven at 160 C for 2.5 hours.
Serve the beef olives with mashed potatoes or rice accompanied by pickled gherkins or silverskin onions (any pickled vegetable compliment the meal).

Nutrition