Cooking something for dad? Beef & Gnocchi hotpot!

Father’s Day is coming guys!

Have you bought any daily deals as gifts for your dad? There are plenty of choices – dining out deal, holiday deals, car deals…

Or, if you like cooking, and want to have a cozy celebration at home, today I found one recipe for you – Beef hotpot. It is a simple way to warm up the whole family in the winter. Hearty and full of greeny, healthy veggies, with cornbread or if you want to save some effort, buy some bread from bakery & put on the side.

Beef Hotpot - Winter Recipe

Preparation Time
30 minutes

Cooking Time
135 minutes

Ingredients (serves 6)
1 tbs olive oil
1kg beef chuck steaks
300g bacon rashers, rind removed, coarsely chopped
400g small mushrooms, halved
1 red capsicum, deseeded, cut into 1.5cm pieces
1 x 800g can diced tomatoes
185ml (3/4 cup) water
70g (1/4 cup) tomato paste
1 x 500g pkt shelf-fresh potato gnocchi
2 shallots, ends trimmed, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh continental parsley
1 tbs finely grated lemon rind
Sour cream, to serve
Cheese cornbread
Melted butter, to grease
340g (2 cups) polenta
1 tbs caster sugar
100g (2/3 cup) self-raising flour
120g (1 1/2 cups) coarsely grated vintage cheddar
1 tsp salt
500ml (2 cups) buttermilk
150g butter, melted
2 eggs, lightly whisked

Cooking Method
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to a large stockpot.
Add the bacon and mushroom to the frying pan. Cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until golden. Transfer to the stockpot. Add the capsicum to the frying pan. Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until the capsicum softens slightly. Transfer to a heatproof bowl.
Place the beef mixture over medium heat. Add the tomato and water. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours or until the beef is tender. Stir in the capsicum and tomato paste. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Use tongs to transfer the beef to a chopping board. Finely shred. Remove and discard any excess fat. Return the beef to the stockpot. Stir until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, to make the cheese cornbread, preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a 10 x 20cm (base measurement) loaf pan with melted butter to grease. Combine the polenta, sugar, flour, cheddar and salt in a large bowl. Stir in the buttermilk, butter and egg. Pour into the pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Cook gnocchi following packet directions or until tender. Drain. Add the gnocchi and shallot to the hotpot, and stir to combine. Combine the parsley and lemon rind in a bowl.
Top the hotpot with the sour cream and parsley mixture. Serve with toasted cornbread.

Lazy tips -

IF making the corn bread sounds too much hassle for you, just buy some fresh baked bread from bakery.

IF the whole process sounds quite ‘complex’ for you, use Slow cooker instead and put everything in at the same time. Remove excess oil from time to time,  put on high heat, 4 hours the dish will be done!

Wish you find something really specially for your dad or you just need to get all ingredients ready, prepare to be a good chef!

Source credit: taste website