Daube of beef with orange

Method

• step 1

  heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 4. wash and dry the meat. Pour boiling water over the shallots to cover them, leave them for 5 mins, then drain, peel and cut in half. Put to one side. Pare long strips of peel from half the orange and tie together with the parsley and thyme with some string.

• step 2

  heat 2 tbsp of the oil and the butter in a large heatproof casserole. Add the meat and half the lardons and brown quickly on all sides (do this in batches). Return all the meat to the pan, then quickly pour over the cognac and ignite. Stir the flour into the meat until it disappears.

• step 3

  In a separate pan, fry the onions, finely chopped carrot and celery in 1 tbsp oil until softened. Add to the casserole pan along with the herb bundle, star anise, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, stir well, then cover tightly and cook in the oven for 2 hours.

• step 4

  Tip the remaining lardons into a frying pan and heat with a drop of oil until the fat runs, then add the shallots and fry gently until they are lightly coloured. Add the daube along with the sliced carrots, give it a stir and cover again. return to the oven for a further 2 hours until the meat is very tender.