Braised beef with Comté macaroni
A rich and creamy macaroni cheese, with braised beef and Comté for that extra level of luxury.
Ingredients
For the braised beef
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 500g/1lb 2oz braising steak
- 1 onion, cut into quarters
- 1 carrot, peeled and halved
- 1 head garlic, cut in half
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 300ml/10fl oz Burgundy red wine
- 1 star anise
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ bunch fresh thyme
- 500ml/18fl oz beef stock, or enough just to cover
For the cheese macaroni
- 25g/1oz unsalted butter
- 25g/1oz plain flour
- 500ml/18fl oz warm milk
- 250g/9oz Comté, grated
- few gratings fresh nutmeg
- 200g/7oz cooked macaroni
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú grated Parmesan
- 50²µ/1¾´Ç³ú breadcrumbs
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the beef, heat a large casserole dish over high heat, add the olive oil and once hot brown off the beef. Once brown all over remove from the pan and set aside. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and celery and fry until well browned. Add the tomato purée and wine. Reduce by half and then add the beef back to the pan along with the herbs and enough stock to almost cover. Cook slowly for around 2 hours or until very tender.
Remove the meat from the casserole. Continue to cook the sauce to reduce and then strain. Pull the meat apart into a gratin dish and spoon over the reduced stock. Set aside.
To make the cheese macaroni, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Whisk in the flour and then whisk in the warm milk. Cook out for a few minutes before adding the Comté. Season with salt and pepper and add the nutmeg. Stir in the cooked pasta.
Spoon this mixture over the top of the meat in the gratin dish. Sprinkle over the Parmesan and breadcrumbs. Bake for 25–30 minutes.
