Cottage Chilli Hotpot with Braised Beef
Layered beef and vegetable chilli topped with buttered potatoes. Braising steak simmers with red wine, tomatoes, kidney beans, and warm spices like cumin and coriander, then covered with thinly sliced potatoes and baked until golden. Freezer-friendly and hearty.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ lb braising steak, cubedchuck steak1:1beef
equally tender after braising
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, seasoned well
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 ¼ cups red wine
- 2 red onions, cut into chunks
- 2 carrots, cut into chunks
- 4 garlic cloves, bashed to remove skin
- 2 red peppers, deseeded, cut into chunks
- 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and sliced
- thyme sprigs, plus 1 tbsp leaves
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 2 400g cans chopped plum tomatoes
- 2 tsp caster or granulated sugar
- 1 cups good beef stock
- 1 400g can red kidney beans, drainedblack beans1:1legume
milder flavour
- 2 ¼ lb potatoes, peeled and sliced
- butter, knob, plus for dotting
Instructions
- 1
Toss beef cubes in seasoned flour. Brown half the beef in oil in a pan until browned, then spoon into a bowl.
- 2
Add red wine to the pan, scrape up any bits, reduce slightly, then pour into the bowl with beef.
- 3
Wipe the pan and repeat with remaining beef and more wine.
- 4
Whizz onions, carrots and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped.
- 5
Add oil to the pan and fry the chopped veg, peppers, fresh chilli, thyme sprigs and bay for 10 minutes.
- 6
Stir in the spices and cook for 1 minute.
- 7
Add the remaining wine and reduce by half.
- 8
Add tomatoes, sugar, cooked beef with juices, and beef stock. Season and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours until beef is tender.
- 9
Stir in drained kidney beans and allow to cool.
- 10
Peel and slice potatoes about ¼" thick, then boil for 5 minutes. Drain.
- 11
Return potatoes to pan, add butter and thyme leaves, season, and toss to coat.
- 12
Tip chilli mixture into a 35 x 9 ¾" dish, then layer potatoes on top. Dot with butter.
- 13
Cover with cling film and cool completely if freezing.
- 14
Heat oven to 400°F or 350°F fan or. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour until sauce bubbles and potatoes are golden.
- 15
Serve with soured cream and green vegetables.
Tips
Braise in two batches to properly brown the beef and build fond.
Food processor speeds up vegetable prep for the chilli base.
Potatoes boiled briefly before layering stay firm and don't waterlog.
Cool completely before freezing to prevent condensation.
Good to Know
Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 3 days. Freeze for 1 month before cooking. Defrost before baking.
Prepare chilli base and potatoes, assemble in dish, cool completely, cover and refrigerate overnight, or freeze up to 1 month. Bake from refrigerated or defrosted state.
Serve hot from the oven with soured cream and steamed or boiled green vegetables.
Common Mistakes
Skip browning beef in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan and steaming rather than browning
Add beans during the long braise to avoid them becoming mushy; stir in just before cooling
Use potatoes thicker than 5mm to prevent them from disintegrating during cooking
Assemble and bake while potatoes are still warm to avoid cold layers
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
General Alternatives
equally tender after braising