• 2lb porterhouse steak or skirt, cut in one piece
• 3 shallots or 1 small onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 tbsp oil
• 11/2 oz butter
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 1/2-3/4 pint of jellied brown stock
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2lb button mushrooms
• 2 wineglasses red wine
• 1 dessertspoon tomato puree
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley to garnish

1. Cut the meat into 2 inch squares. Chop the shallots or onion and garlic very finely. Heat a saute pan or shallow stew pan, add the oil and, when hot, drop in 1oz of the butter. Fry the meat a few pieces at a time until nicely brown on both sides, then remove it from the pan.

2. Reduce the heat, add the shallot and garlic and cook slowly until soft. Dust in the flour and continue cooking to a rich russet-brown. Draw pan aside, blend in the stock, then replace on heat and stir until boiling. Return the meat to the pan and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes.

3. Wash and trim the mushrooms, quarter them or leave whole, depending on their size. Heat a pan, drop in 1/2oz butter and mushrooms and cook quickly for about 2 minutes. Tip on the wine and boil hard until reduced by half. Stir in the tomato puree.

4. Add the mushroom mixture to the meat and continue cooking for about 10 minutes. Turn into a hot serving dish and dust with chopped parsley. Serve with saute potatoes and leaf spinach.