When hubby let me know that he hadn’t been paid his overtime this month my heart sank. His overtime is the equivelant of half his flat salary and it is what we live on after paying the bills. However I always have a plan and insteead of staying in a space of “wtf do we do” I started thinking and looking and planning. We also had 2 more days until payday and no budget left for it.

This meal serves 4 people. For me and hubby that means 2 days meals. Since our supplier of sirloin and rump appears to have an issue, our freezers are lower than low. Which means I had the coins at the side of the bed which was around £7 so I set off with it.

Our nearest supermarket is Morrisons so I went there and looked in the cheap cuts. I found Beef shin a cut that is either cooked fast and thin in a broth (dipped is closer to it) or low and slow in a casserole or stew. Which is more the side I was aiming for since I was incredibly busy for those couple of days prepping fruit for crystalising next week. I found the cheapest packet at £4.35 and grabbed some button mushrooms at 95p and headed home.

I washed out the slow cooker since we’d been using it to have leftover Cawl for the last few days and went to switch it on and it blew the electrics. Pretty sure I got water in it honestly but then I had to think fast. I don’t really like turning on the oven except if I am using it all day but I had no choice. So it ended up on the stove to saute off the onions, beef and mushrooms and flavourings and get the stock to a boil before popping it in the oven on 180C for 3 hours.

I have to admit I was terrified the whole time that it wouldn’t work, that it would need alot more time but as it turned out it was perfect first go and Tanny completely approved and has asked for the leftovers for over Jacket Potatoes for Sunday. I have to admit I am not in anyway upset by this. if anything I am exstatic. I had planned to make a video of it but with the comedy of errors that was Friday I decided that this was the better option.

Recipe for Beef, Booze and Buttons

400g Beef Shin (large diced (1cm/ 1/2 inch)

1 Large Onion (sliced)

300g Button Mushrooms or whatever you have (sliced)

1 Tablespoon Worcestshire Sauce (I used homemade Mushroom Ketchup)

5 Beef Stock Cubes and 500ml of Hot Water or 500ml of Beef Stock

250 ml of Beef or Red Wine (I found a bottle of beer in the back of the cupboard leftover from christmas last year)

2 Tablespoons of Bouillion Powder (I used my homemade one) Link to video here

2 Tablespoons of Gravy Granules or Corn flour to thicken at the end.

METHOD

1. Saute the Beef, Onion and Mushrooms until browned and softened. Salt and Pepper to taste, remember though if you are using stock cubes they are pretty salty so go easy.

2. Add Bouillion Powder, Worcestshire Sauce and mix through BEFORE adding the liquids.

3. Bring to the boil and then place in the oven on 180C /350F /Gas Mark 5 for 3-4 hours or throw in a slow cooker on high for 6 hours.

4. Add the gravy granules or cornflour to thicken and it will without any issues and serve.

NOTES

1. If you don’t want to use the alcohol use extra stock or maybe try some tomato juice.
2. If you want to add 1 Tablespoon or 2 of Tomato Paste just to add that bit of something to it.
3. We served ours on boiled potatoes tossed in butter but you could use it as a jacket potato topping or even with pasta or rice if you wanted or even as it is or with some crusty bread.
4. If you want to add veg, even frozen veg but I wouldn’t until half way through cooking if they are large chunks or in the last half hour or so if they are frozen.

Let me know how you enjoy it and what you do differently in the comments and go subscribe to my YouTube account for more recipes and all kinds of self sufficiency tips and tricks.