I love slow cooked dishes, and this one fits the bill perfectly. Glossy and full of flavour this slow cooked dairy free chocolate beef is wonderful with rice or mash on a cold night. We use the wonderful Pacari Los Rios 72% Cacao Organic Single Region Fine Chocolate for depth of flavour without too much sweetness. Of course Pacari Chocolate is dairy free, so a good choice for us. The prunes add in a wonderful flavour and the Pacari Chocolate balances it perfectly. If you’re looking for a dairy free dinner this winter look no further!
Like most casseroles it tastes great the next day, and freezes well too. I actually think its better the next day, as the flavours seem a bit richer. The trick is to cook it ‘slow and low’ so that the meat is very tender. The prunes disappear a bit and melt into the sauce, which works really well with the chocolate. Don’t be tempted to add more chocolate – it will be too sweet and a bit cloying.
Free From: Dairy, Soya, Nuts
Slow Cooked Dairy Free Chocolate Beef
- November 8, 2019
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Ingredients
- 1 kilo beef shin chopped into bite sized pieces, pop the bones into the casserole as well, and remove when serving.
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 250g stoned, ready to eat prunes
- 1 1/2 pint beef stock
- 1/3 cup red wine
- 3 tbsp gluten free flour (Dove's Farm)
- 1/2 onion - chopped
- 250 g bacon lardons
- 50g dark chocolate - we use Los Rios 72% Cacao Organic Single Region Fine Chocolate
Directions
- Step 1
- First off brown the meat. Get 1 tbs oil hot in the casserole dish and throw in a handful of the chopped up beef. It should sizzle when it hits the bottom of the casserole. The trick with browning meat is to not get impatient. Too much in the pan and its steamed, turn it over too quickly and it’s not browned, but kinda grey. So leave it for a few minutes, then turn it over. Brown on all sides
- Step 2
- Take out with a slotted spoon and put in a bowl on the side. Continue til all the meat is browned adding a bit more oil if you need to. When the last batch is nearly done browning throw in the flour and stir to cover the meat.
- Step 3
- Quickly deglaze with the red wine and pour that over the meat. Put in another tablespoon of oil and add in the bacon lardons. Cook these (stirring as you go) until crisp – a good 10 minutes. Take out with a slotted spoon and put with the beef.
- Step 4
- Add the onion and cook until just starting to colour. Add in a few tablespoons of the stock and stir making sure the get the nice flavourful brown bits off the bottom of the casserole. Now add the rest of the stock, meat, prunes and bacon to the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
- Step 5
- Add in the chocolate – it will melt into the casserole and make it wonderful – rich and thick but not too sweet.
- Step 6
- Pop into the oven for 2 hours until the meat is crazy tender and the sauce a glossy wonder.
