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The flavours of this dish work so well with a cheaper cut of meat or minced steak. Beef cooked the Italian way is rich and tasty and made with garlic, herbs and red wine or stock. This dish works best when the meat is allowed to soak in the marinade for as long as possible – up to twenty-four hours

Serves 6

Ingredients

450g/1lbs mince or chump steak

2 cloves of garlic – chopped

4 dsp balsamic vinegar

2 dsp honey

1 dsp olive oil

225g/8oz cherry tomatoes

110g/4oz black olives - stoned

150mls/¼ pt passata or tinned tomatoes

150ml/¼ pt red wine

Handful of basil or flat leaf parsley – chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Use minced steak or cut the meat into strips and leave to marinate in the garlic, vinegar and honey for at least 30 minutes.

Drain the meat from the marinade and add to the hot oil in the pan. Cook over a high heat for 10-15 minutes until the meat becomes crispy and is almost cooked. Pour over the remainder of the marinade

Add the tomatoes, black olives, passata or tomato puree and red wine to the pan. Simmer gently for 4-5 minutes until the sauce thickens. If you prefer more sauce add a little more passata and red wine.

Finally, add the basil. Heat through, season, and serve. I like this dish served with crusty bread or with a mixture of oven roasted vegetables such as aubergines, peppers and courgettes.