Slow cooker beef topside with red wine gravy

• black peppercorns↗1 tbsp tbsp
• English mustard powder↗1 tbsp tbsp
• rosemary↗2 tbsp chopped tbsp

  chopped

• celery seeds1 tsp tsp
• dried porcini mushrooms↗15g g
• olive or rapeseed oil↗4 tbsp tbsp
• beef topside↗1.6kg kg

  cut into 12 slices

• hot beef stock600ml ml
• carrot↗1 large

  large, peeled and roughly chopped

• onion↗1 large

  large, roughly chopped

• celery↗2 sticks

  2 sticks, roughly chopped

• tomato purée↗2 tbsp tbsp
• red wine↗200ml ml
• cornflour↗1 tbsp tbsp

  (optional)

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Crush the peppercorns with the mustard, rosemary, celery seeds and a little salt using a pestle and mortar. Blitz the mushrooms to a fine powder in a food processor, then stir them in with 2 tbsp oil and rub all over the beef. Cover and chill for at least 1 hr, but overnight is best.

2. 2

   Heat the slow cooker to high and pour in the stock. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large pan and brown the beef, then put in the slow cooker skin-side up. Fry the carrot, onion and celery in the same pan over a medium-high heat for about 10 mins. Stir in the tomato purée and wine, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan, then add this to the slow cooker.

3. 3

   Cook on low for 6 hrs, then strain the liquid into a pan. Keep the meat and veg covered with foil so they stay warm. Bring the liquid to the boil, then simmer until reduced by a third and season. For thicker gravy, mix the cornflour with 2 tbsp water and whisk into the boiling liquid. Serve the beef with the gravy, along with some mash and greens.