Braised Beef in Rich Tomato and Anchovy Sauce

A hearty dish of meltingly tender beef

1. 1

   PREP - Rinse the steak and pat dry with kitchen paper. Cut into large cubes. Peel and crush the garlic. Wash and finely chop the parsley. Wash and dice the celery. Peel and finely dice the carrots. Rinse the anchovy fillets under running water to remove the excess preserving oil and salt. Chop them finely.
   
   HEAT - Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole pot. Add the garlic, celery, carrots, anchovies, half the chopped parsley and a sprinkling of salt. Cook on a low heat for about 5 minutes.
   
   COAT - Meanwhile, put the flour into a food bag with a little salt and a grinding of black pepper. Add the meat pieces and shake vigorously to coat them with the flour.
   
   BROWN - Add the meat to the casserole and brown. Then pour the wine over the steak and let it bubble for a couple of minutes. Add the tomato puree and 250ml of hot water.
   
   STEW - Cover the casserole with a lid and cook the steak over a very low heat for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Check regularly that the pan juices are not drying up. Should that happen, add a little hot water.
   
   SERVE - At the end of cooking remove the pan from the heat, add a generous grinding of black pepper and sprinkle with the remaining parsley.