Slow Cooked Beef and Stilton

I first tasted the combination of beef and stilton cheese some years ago, as a hot filling in a Cornish Pasty. I thought the taste was divine and have been a fan ever since, enjoying it in casseroles as well as pies. Stilton adds a salty sharpness to the beef juices, making a rich and creamy gravy to coat and complement the tender and succulent beef.

What better dish to make, therefore, as the next in my slow cooker season.

Servings

6 adult servings, alongside your choice of veg.

Timings

20 mins to prepare, and 4 – 5 hours bubbling away in an electric slow cooker.

You Will Need

• 700g braising beef, cut into chunks
• a few spoonfuls of plain flour
• salt and pepper
• oil
• 1 large onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 litre of beef stock
• 1 large glass of red wine
• 200g stilton cheese
• some cornflour and tap water

Method

1. Turn on the electric slow cooker to the high setting.
2. Sprinkle the flour, salt and pepper on a dish, then roll the pieces of beef in it till they are coated all over.
3. Warm some oil in a frying pan and fry the beef until the pieces are seared all over. Transfer to the slow cooker bowl.
4. Crush the garlic clove and add to the remaining hot oil in the pan. Chop the onion and add also. Stir until softened, then add to the slow cooker bowl.
5. Pour the stock and wine into the hot pan, and heat until it is bubbling. Pour over the beef and onions in the slow cooker bowl.
6. Leave the slow cooker on high for around 30 mins, then reduce to the medium setting. Let it bubble away for 4 – 5 hours.
7. Using a fork, pull out a piece of beef to check that it is cooked. It should be tender and flake apart when pressed with the fork.
8. Cut the stilton into pieces and then crumble with your fingers into the slow cooker. Stir gently so that the pieces begin to melt into the gravy, thickening it as they go.
9. If you wish to make the gravy thicker, mix up a couple of teaspoons of cornflour with the same amount of tap water, and stir to dissolve. Add into the gravy. You can repeat this again if necessary, to reach the thickness you desire.
10. Serve with your choice of roasted, boiled or steamed veg. Mine in the photo is served with roast potatoes, boiled brussels sprouts and carrots.

Customise It!

If you wish, you can add veg directly into the slow cooker, and they will take on the flavours of the beef gravy as they cook. Root veg, such as carrots, swede, parsnips and celeriac will work well. You could also serve the dish with rice instead of roast potatoes, to soak up all that rich, stilton sauce.

Don’t worry if you do not have an electric slow cooker. You can use a casserole dish instead, and cook it in the oven. Start off with the oven at 180C, then reduce it to 160C at step 6 above.

It’s getting to that time when I receive my playlist from Spotify with all my most-played tracks of the year. This is one that will almost certainly feature, as I’ve listened to it many times. It’s by New York band Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Heads Will Roll.