This is a great make-ahead starter as it will keep in the fridge for up to three days. Delicious served spread onto hot toast.
100g/3½oz butter
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp salt
pinch cayenne pepper
2 garlic cloves, peeled
freshly ground black pepper
300g/10½oz braising steak, fat and sinew removed
25g/1oz butter
4 tsp green peppercorns in brine, drained
Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
Put the butter in a small saucepan and sprinkle over the nutmeg, ginger, salt, cayenne and whole garlic cloves. Season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper, and place over a low heat. Allow the butter to melt slowly, stirring occasionally.
Cut the beef into 4 or 5 large chunks and place them in a small ovenproof dish (with a lid if possible). Pour the melted butter mixture over the top so that the beef is almost completely covered.
Place the dish on a baking tray and cover it with a tight-fitting piece of foil or a lid. Cook in the centre of the preheated oven for 3¼–3½ hours or until the beef is very soft. Halfway through the cooking time, remove the dish from the oven and turn the beef pieces over. Cover again and return to the oven for the remaining time.
At the end of the cooking time, take the beef out of the oven and remove the foil or lid. Press a chunk of the meat with a table knife – it should offer very little resistance and begin to flake apart. If the beef still feels a little firm, return to the oven for a further 20–30 minutes or so. Once cooked, leave to cool for 30 minutes.
Tip the cooled beef into a bowl with the garlic and buttery juices and mash with a fork until the mixture is as smooth as possible. Transfer to a small preserving jar or a ceramic bowl and smooth the surface.
For the peppercorn topping, melt the butter slowly in a small pan over a low heat. Spoon off any white foam that rises to the surface, leaving clarified butter in the pan. Carefully pour the clarified butter onto the potted beef, leaving any sediment from the butter at the bottom of the pan. Scatter the peppercorns over the top of the butter layer. Cover the jar or bowl and chill. Use the beef within 3 days.
Serve with hot toast.
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