beef in guinness with gremolata

Beef in Guinness with gremolata by Good Food Magazine - serves 6

Slow food is all the rage and this dish certainly adheres to the principles of taking your time. Three days in fact. But don't be put off by confusing velocity with virtue; the measured approach to this dish is its strength. This is a banquet of calm, a feast of flavour in three easy stages and the ultimate in one-pot cooking. Day one: put all the ingredients in a pot, job done. Day two: turn on the oven and leave the dish to cook on a timer for three or four hours, job done. Day three: reheat and enjoy those rich, slow-cooked flavour; job's (as they say) a good 'un.

Ingredients
For the stew:
1.3kg/3lb lean stewing or casserole beef, cubed
2 onions, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 bunch small carrots, trimmed
3 celery sticks, chopped
1 tbsp sugar
3 bay leaves
½ orange, finely grated zest only
1 tsp dried thyme (or a heaped of fresh leaves)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
600ml/1 pint Guinness
1 tbsp cornflour mixed with a little water

For the gremolata:
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

To serve:
buttered noodles and green beans

Method
1. 2 days ahead: put all the ingredients for the stew, except the cornflour mixture, in a large, ovenproof casserole with a lid. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 24 hours.
2. 1 day ahead: preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3 from cold. Cook the stew, tightly covered, for 1 hour until bubbling. Lower the heat to 150C/300F/Gas 2, then cook for about 3 hours until the meat is really tender. Allow to cool, then chill for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
3. 1-2 hours ahead: preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5 from cold. With a spoon, carefully remove and discard any fat from the top of the meat mixture, remove and discard the bay leaves, then thoroughly stir in the cornflour mixture. Cook the casserole in the oven for 45 minutes-1 hour.
4. Just before eating: the gravy should be quite thin, but if you would like it a bit thicker, add a heaped teaspoon of cornflour dissolved in a couple of tablespoons of the gravy. Stir in off the heat, then return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
5. For the gremolata, place all of the ingredients into a bowl and mix together well.
6. Serve the casserole in heated wide soup plates, scattered with the gremolata and accompanied by buttered noodles and green beans.