Baked Tuscan-style Beef Peposo With Saffron Butter Orzo

Before you begin...

This recipe takes around 5-10 min to prep, so get your casserole dish and all your ingredients ready, then wash your fruit and veg

Note: Make sure your dish is oven-proof and safe to use on the hob. Don't have one? Start cooking in a large, wide-based pan then transfer to an oven-proof dish and cover tightly with foil

Now, let's get started!

Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 180°C (fan)/ gas 6 and boil a kettle

Heat a large, wide-based, hob-safe oven-proof casserole dish with a matching lid with a drizzle of vegetable oil over a high heat

Once hot, add your diced beef to the dish with your cracked black pepper and cook for 2 min or until lightly browned

Meanwhile, chop your leek[s] in half lengthways, wash thoroughly to remove any grit then top, tail and slice finely

Peel and finely chop (or grate) your garlic

Once lightly browned, add 1 tbsp [1 1/2 tbsp] [2 tbsp] flour with the chopped garlic and give it a good mix up

Add the sliced leek

Add your red wine paste and tomato paste with your beef stock mix and 400ml [550ml] [700ml] boiled water

Add your bay leaf[ves] and bring to the boil over a high heat

Once boiling, cover with the lid and put the dish in the oven for 45-50 min or until the sauce is rich and the beef is tender – this is your baked Tuscan-style beef peposo

Once the beef has had 35 min, reboil a kettle

Combine your orzo and saffron in an oven-proof dish with 300ml [450ml] [600ml] boiled water and give it a good mix up

Cover tightly with tin foil and put the dish in the oven for 15-18 min or until the orzo is cooked – this is your cooked orzo

Use this time to clear up, set the table, have a cup of tea or simply chill!

Once the beef is ready, season with a pinch of salt and set aside, with the lid on, for 3-4 min for the flavours to develop

Discard the bay leaf[ves]

Once the orzo is cooked, add a pinch of salt and a knob of butter and give everything a good mix up – this is your saffron butter orzo