Spiced Cranberry Scotch Beef

How it's done:

• 1
  Wash and pat dry the beef. Season lightly all over and leave to stand for 20 minutes at room temperature before cooking.
• 2
  Preheat the slow cooker to High. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and brown the meat for about 5 minutes, turning to brown all over. Drain the beef and set aside.
• 3
  Reheat the pan juices and gently fry the onion and carrots for 5 minutes, stirring, until very lightly browned.
• 4
  Put the vegetables in the slow cooker and place the beef on top. Cover with the lid.
• 5
  Use a vegetable peeler to pare off the orange rind into strips, then extract the juice. Add to the frying pan along with the cinnamon and cranberry juice. Heat gently, stirring until boiling.
• 6
  Pour over the beef and place the lid on top. Cook on High for 4 hours, then reduce to Low and cook for a further 1 1/2 - 2 hours until tender. Turn the beef occasionally during cooking to ensure even cooking - see above. Drain the beef and put on a plate. Cover loosely with foil and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
• 7
  Drain the vegetables, reserving the cooking juices, cover and keep warm.
• 8
  Discard the cinnamon stick and orange rind, then skim away the fat from the cooking juices.
• 9
  Put the frozen cranberries and honey in a small saucepan and add 6tbsp of the cooking stock. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes until the cranberries are soft. Cover and keep warm.
• 10
  Put the cornflour in another saucepan and blend with a little of the remaining cooking stock to make a paste. Gradually stir in the remaining stock. Bring to the boil, stirring, then simmer for 1 minute until lightly thickened. Cover and keep warm.
• 11
  To serve, sprinkle the beef with chopped parsley and serve with the pot vegetables. Garnish with orange and parsley. Accompany with the cranberry sauce and gravy, along with smashed potatoes, lentils and sprouts. Discard the butcher's string and fat from the beef before slicing to serve.
• 12
  Note: Turn the meat over in the cooker about 3 times during cooking so that it cooks more evenly. Only remove the lid for a minimum amount of time in order to preserve as much heat in the cooker as possible.
• 13
  You can cook this recipe in a conventional oven if preferred. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4. Proceed with the recipe below and place everything in a lidded casserole dish. Cover the top with foil, then the lid and bake for 3- 3 1/2 hours, turning the meat over halfway through, until very tender.
• 14
  Using a whole cinnamon stick for this recipe gives a mellow, sweet spice flavour to the dish. If preferred, use 1 to 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon.
• 15
  For an easy accompaniment, boil 600g same-size Charlotte potatoes for about 10 minutes until just tender. Drain well and stand for 10 minutes. Use a potato masher to squash the potatoes without breaking them up too much. Heat 2tbsp rapeseed oil in a large frying pan until hot, add the potatoes in a single layer and cook for 5 minutes until golden underneath. Carefully turn them over, sprinkle with a drained can of green lentils, 150g thinly sliced Brussels sprouts and 4 chopped spring onions. Season with garlic granules and a little salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and leave to cook over a low heat for about 20 minutes until the sprouts are tender. Mix together to serve.
• 16
  Leftovers: shred pieces of leftover beef and reheat in a little of the cranberry gravy until piping hot and use to fill readymade Yorkshire puddings with a dollop of leftover cranberry sauce or horseradish as a cocktail canape, quick supper or snack.