Beef ragù

olive oil, for frying

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 carrots, peeled and finely diced

2 sticks celery, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced

flour, for dusting

salt and freshly ground black pepper

400 g beef diced braising steak

100 g pancetta

1 bay leaf

5 cm/2in strip of orange rind

375 ml red wine, preferably Italian

2 tbsp tomato purée

Large pinch of dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.

Season the flour with salt and pepper and lightly coat the beef in the seasoned flour. Add some olive oil to a frying pan set over a high heat and add the coated beef pieces. Fry until the meat is golden-brown on all over. Set cooked beef aside.

Heat the oil in an ovenproof, heavy-based pan or casserole, set over a low-medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.

When the vegetables have softened, add the pancetta, bay leaf and orange rind to the pan. Cook for about five minutes until much of the pancetta fat has rendered and the vegetables have browned a little around the edges.

Pour the red wine into the frying pan used to brown the meat. Cook over a medium heat, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any charred bits of meat.

Add the browned beef to the vegetables.

Add the tomato purée to the ragú and stir it through. Cook for two minutes stirring regularly to avoid burning.

Pour the warm wine into the ragú, add 200ml/7fl oz water and bring to a simmer. Scrap the bottom of the pan to loosen up and burn on food. Add the oregano and stir through.

Put the lid on the pan and place in the preheated oven for 1½ hours, or until the meat is meltingly tender and the liquid reduced. Check once or twice in this time and stir to prevent the meat on the surface drying out.

I serve with mashed potatoes