Cooking with a beef joint

A roasting joint from the freezer goes a long way here. Every recipe below uses 700g of beef, so a 1.4kg joint covers two batches. Slow, covered braising turns even a lean roasting joint into tender, shreddable beef that portions neatly into 70g blocks.

Which joint?

1. Topside and silverside are lean and cheap. Keep the lid on, the heat low and the liquid topped up, or they dry out.
2. Brisket has more fat running through it, so it stays the juiciest and shreds the most easily. Trim off any thick fat layer.
3. Chuck or braising joints are the most forgiving of all. Rolled joints just need the string removed.

From freezer to pot

1. Defrost in the fridge, never on the worktop. Allow about 24 hours for every 2 to 2.5kg, and cook within a day of it thawing.
2. Cut it up. Four big pieces brown better and cook faster than one whole joint; 3cm chunks suit the stews.
3. Brown well, braise low. Most recipes need 2½ to 3 hours at 150°C fan, or 8 hours on Low in a slow cooker. It’s ready when it falls apart with two forks.
4. Freezing again is fine. Once a defrosted joint has been cooked, the blocks can go straight back in the freezer.

The nine recipes

Each uses 700g of topside, silverside or brisket. Times are prep plus cooking, and most of it is hands-off.

• Shredded Beef Ragu: red wine, tomato and rosemary for pasta night. 3 hr 40 min, 22 blocks.
• Hungarian Beef Goulash: sweet and smoked paprika, red peppers and caraway. 3 hr, 22 blocks.
• Ropa Vieja: Cuban shredded beef with peppers, olives and capers. 3 hr, 21 blocks.
• Beef Bourguignon: red wine, bacon and mushrooms for a Sunday-style stew. 3 hr 15 min, 19 blocks.
• Greek Beef Stifado: whole shallots, cinnamon and allspice. 3 hr, 19 blocks.
• Beef Massaman: a mild Thai curry with squash and peanuts, and the quickest of the nine. 2 hr 45 min, 19 blocks.
• Gochujang Beef: Korean-style, braised in gochujang, soy and grated pear. 3 hr 15 min, 18 blocks.
• Chinese Red-Braised Beef: soy, star anise and ginger, with carrot and pak choi. 3 hr, 17 blocks.
• Slow-Cooked Beef Stroganoff: mushrooms, paprika and Dijon; stir in soured cream at serving. 3 hr, 16 blocks.

To cook four of them in one session from two joints, see Beef joint day.