Beef
Dorset, England
This traditional Dorset dish was often prepared to be eaten on days when the fair came to town as it is good-tempered enough to wait until the revellers came home, although the forcemeat balls should not be cooked for too long. Jugging is a method of slow cooking which retains all the flavours of the meat while mingling them with those of the other ingredients.
Stewing steak 11/2lb / 700g diced into 1inch
/ 2.5 cm cubes
1 oz / 30g Plain flour
1 large Onion, sliced
4 Cloves
5 fl oz / 150ml Port
1 pint / 500ml Beef stock
8 oz / 225g Sausagemeat
2 oz / 60g Fresh breadcrumbs
2 tbs / 30g Fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbs / 15g Redcurrant jelly
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Pre-heat oven to 170C / 325F / Gas 3.
Toss the meat in the flour, shaking off excess. Put into an oven-proof casserole
dish. Season.
Add the onion and cloves, pour in the port and just enough stock to cover
the meat.
Cover and bake for 3 hours, until the meat is tender.
Meanwhile, mix together the sausagemeat, breadcrumbs, parsley and season
well, form the mixture into 8 balls.
40 minutes before the end of the cooking time, stir the redcurrant jelly
into the casserole. Add the forcemeat balls and cook, uncovered, until the
forcemeat balls are cooked and slightly brown.
Skim off any excess fat and serve hot.