Who has the beef?

When someone asks me whether "I got beef" I have to think carefully about my response as there could be a number of possible answers. Depending upon who I am speaking to, I might wish to reassure them I have no problem with them and I also might want to enlighten them that I extol the virtues of a certain ingenious pop-up restaurant in the locality. The organisation in question is known as "Got Beef" and I can give no better reference than to commend you to check out this review in a local newspaper at: Derbyshire chef hopes to bring pop-up American style street food venture to more Chesterfield pubs (derbyshiretimes.co.uk) 

The architect behind the organisation takes his inspiration primarily from beef recipes from the United States of America while, as should be the way with all great creative minds, adding something uniquely and wonderfully his own to the recipes. 

During the recent weekend of storms, nature, gardening, life admin and Pink Floyd binging I took my inspiration for today's blog entry from the O.G Got Beef. 

There was a break in the Floyd bingeing and a break in the weather as I, in light of volunteering to support my parents at a forthcoming gig of his, I gave Paul Weller's 1995 album "Stanley Road" a proverbial spin. I knew well the soaring, slightly synthetic, shimmering eighties soul of his work with "The Style Council" and could not have made it to this stage in life without prolonged exposure to the punchy and deceptively eclectic offerings of "The Jam". 

This record was different gravy however as it was a ramshackle collection of quasi Clapton numbers with smattering of Blue-Eyed Soul and a shot of Stevie Winwood. It felt like the sound of a man wanting to run as far as he could from the laser-sharp work of his earlier bands. 

As with lots of dishes the first job was to marinate long and hard. I took a pack of diced beef and threw it into a bowl with the following:

Two tablespoons of Ground Cumin.

Six diced cloves of Garlic.

A teaspoon of Chilli Flakes.

A teaspoon of Pink Himalayan Salt.

A tablespoon of Cayenne Pepper.

A tablespoon of Tomato Puree. 

Two Leeks, topped, tailed, their outer skins removed and then sliced finely.

A Bell Pepper that had been cored, de-seeded and sliced into thin strips. 

I then put cling film on the bowl and shook it hard for a couple of minutes before leaving it in the fridge overnight to marinate. 

Next I poured it into a Le Cresceut and melted some seventy five grams of Salted Butter into the mix. I cooked it in the oven for around thirty five minutes on Gas Mark 4 before adding a tin of Tex-Mex Mixed Beans and a tin of Chopped Tomatoes plus seventy five grams of Lentils Vertes I'd boiled for  thirty minutes. I then turned off the oven and left the mixture in the pot in the oven as it cooled down to help it all ferment together. 

The result was a spicy, tender and rich dish with a diverse set of ingredients and flavours that in, some ways, represented the diversity of American Culture. 

The dish can be frozen for later consumption as is shown with this helping that is ready to de-frost and warm up. Therefore it is a dish ideal for block cooked meals eaten during the working week.