Winter warmers

Ingredients

• 1kg diced lamb neck or shoulder
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 500ml lamb or beef stock
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• A few sprigs of thyme
• 1kg floury potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 25g butter, melted
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan) / Gas 3.
2. Brown the lamb in the oil in batches, then set aside.
3. Soften the onions and carrots in the same pan for 5 minutes. Stir in the flour, then the stock and Worcestershire sauce, and bring to a simmer.
4. Put the lamb back in, add the thyme and season. Tip it all into a deep casserole dish.
5. Layer the potato slices over the top, overlapping, and brush with the melted butter.
6. Cover and bake for 2 hours. Uncover, turn the oven up to 200°C (180°C fan) and cook for 30 more minutes until the potatoes are golden.

Ingredients

• 1kg diced stewing or braising steak
• 2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 carrots, in chunks
• 2 celery sticks, sliced
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 750ml beef stock
• 2 bay leaves and a few sprigs of thyme
• For the dumplings: 100g self-raising flour, 50g shredded suet, a pinch of salt, about 5 tbsp cold water

Method

1. Heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan) / Gas 3.
2. Toss the beef in the seasoned flour and brown it in the oil in batches.
3. Soften the vegetables in the same pan, stir in the tomato purée, then add the stock and herbs. Put the beef back in.
4. Cover and cook in the oven for 2½ hours, until the beef is tender.
5. Mix the dumpling ingredients into a soft dough and roll into 8 balls.
6. Sit the dumplings on top of the stew, cover again and cook for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and fluffy.

Ingredients

• 12 pork sausages
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 400g tin chopped tomatoes
• 400g tin butter beans or cannellini beans, drained
• 300ml chicken or vegetable stock
• A handful of chopped parsley

Method

1. Brown the sausages all over in the oil, then lift them out.
2. Soften the onion and pepper in the same pan for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and paprika for a minute.
3. Add the tomatoes, beans and stock, and put the sausages back in.
4. Simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the sausages are cooked right through, with no pink in the middle.
5. Scatter over the parsley.

Ingredients

• 500g minced steak
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 carrots, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 400ml beef stock
• 1kg floury potatoes
• 50g butter and a splash of milk
• A handful of grated Cheddar (optional)

Method

1. Brown the mince in a large pan, breaking it up. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce and stock. Simmer for 30 minutes until thick.
3. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until tender, then mash with the butter and milk.
4. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan) / Gas 6.
5. Spoon the mince into a dish, top with the mash, fork it up and scatter over the cheese.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until golden and piping hot all the way through.

Ingredients

• 2kg boned and rolled pork shoulder, skin scored
• 1 tbsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 onions, thickly sliced
• 300ml apple juice or stock

Method

1. Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) / Gas 7.
2. Pat the skin dry, rub in the oil and salt, and sit the joint on the onions in a roasting tin.
3. Roast for 30 minutes to start the crackling.
4. Turn the oven down to 150°C (130°C fan) / Gas 2, pour the apple juice into the tin and slow-roast for about 4½ hours, until the meat is very tender and pulls apart easily.
5. Rest for 20 minutes. Lift off the crackling, then pull or slice the meat.

Ingredients

• 900g venison haunch, cut into chunks
• 30g dried mixed mushrooms
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 250ml ruby port
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 bay leaves
• A handful of thyme sprigs
• 2 × 400g tins chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp sherry vinegar

Method

1. Soak the mushrooms in 100ml hot water for 30 minutes.
2. Brown the venison in the olive oil, in batches, then put it in a bowl.
3. Pour the port into the pan, simmer briefly, and pour it over the venison.
4. Put everything into the slow cooker, including the mushroom liquid.
5. Cook on low for 8 hours, until tender.
6. Shred the meat and stir it back through the sauce.