Ingredients

• 1.5–2kg/3lb 5oz-4lb 8oz silverside beef joint
• 4 garlic cloves
• sliced lengthways
• 50g/1¾oz smoked bacon lardons
• 4 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 125ml/4fl oz olive oil
• 3 medium onions
• quartered
• 3 sticks celery
• sliced
• 3 carrots
• sliced
• 750ml/1¼ pint red wine
• 2 apples
• peeled
• cut into eighths
• 8 prunes
• 3 tomatoes
• chopped
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 thyme sprig
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 small sprig rosemary
• gnocchi
• cooked
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• Pierce the meat with the point of a sharp knife and insert the garlic slivers and bacon lardons into the slits. Put the beef in a dish
• pour the vinegar all over it
• cover and leave for an hour or two in the fridge.
• Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3.
• When ready to cook
• season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat a couple of tablespoons of the olive oil in a flameproof lidded casserole pan over a high heat
• add the beef and brown it all over.
• Add the remaining olive oil
• the onions
• celery
• carrots and red wine. Bring to the boil. Cover and transfer to the oven and cook for about an hour.
• Remove from the oven and add the apples
• prunes
• tomatoes
• sugar and herbs
• and a little water if it is looking at all dry. Return to the oven to cook for a further hour with the lid on
• or until the meat and vegetables are tender.
• Remove the meat
• vegetables and fruit from the sauce and keep warm. Heat the sauce to reduce in volume to thicken it
• if necessary. Taste and check the seasoning.
• Carve the meat into 1cm/½in thick slices and serve with the sauce and gnocchi.