Jugged Steak with Force-Meatballs

A classic rich dish which is a real delight to treat yourself, family and friends to!

An adaptation of a recipe I Inherited from my boyfriends grandma, this recipe is a truly classic British dish. A deep rich gravy smothers tender chunks of beef and soft umptious dumplings adorn the top. The red current jelly gives a fruiting tang that really bring this dish alive. A real treat for any time of the year!!

If you fancy you can finish off the dish in the oven for 40 minutes instead of the hour on high in the slow cooker - this will crisp up the dumplings! Majority of slow cooker pots can be put straight into the oven, but do check this first. It can also be bulked out to serve more, great and impressive for a dinner party!

I served mine up with mustard mash potatoes but can also be enjoyed with jacked or roast potatoes, or rice.

Jugged Steak with Force-Meatballs

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 500g braising steak chopped into chunks

• 30g plain flour

• 200ml red wine (or 100ml port)

• 300ml beef stock

• 300g pork sausage meat

• 80g breadcrumbs

• 250g mushrooms chopped

• 4 bacon rashers chopped

• 1 white onion, diced

• handful of parsley finely chopped (or 2 tbsp of dried parsley)

• 4 cloves

Directions

1. Heat a pan with a little oil, toss the beef in the flour and fry off until browned. Place to one side.

2. Fry off the onion, bacon and mushroom in a pan, add to slow cooker

3. Add the beef, cloves, parsley, wine and stock to the slow cooker, season and stir

4. Cook on low for 6 hours

5. To make the force meatballs, remove the sausage from the skin and mix the breadcrumbs and parsley in with pork. Shape into 8 even balls.

6. Add the meatballs to the slow cooker and cook for further 1 hour on high (or in oven, see note)