Serves 6
An eintopf or 'one pot' is a German stew. This potato and bean version isn't haute cuisine, but it is tasty, filling and amazingly cheap to make. It's even better made a day in advance and reheated.
40 g (1 1/2 oz) lard (or oil)
250 g (9 oz) beef brisket or pork belly
1 onion, chopped
1 kg (l 3/4 lb) young runner beans, sliced
750 g (1 lb 10 oz) potatoes
400 ml (14 fl oz) water
50 g (2 oz) butter
1 tbsp flour
salt and pepper
1. Melt the lard in a large saucepan with a lid. Brown the meat and add the onion, cooking until lightly browned. Season well with salt and pepper.
2. Without stirring up the contents of the pan again, put the beans and then the potatoes on top of the meat and onions. Pour over the water and cover the pan.
3. Cook on a high heat until steam starts to escape. Turn the heat down to low and cook, without lifting the lid of the pan, for three quarters of an hour. Then remove the lid and burrow down to retrieve the meat.
4. Trim off any fat or rind, chop the meat, and return it to the pan.
5. Melt the butter and stir in the flour, cooking it until it turns a rich hazelnut brown.
6. Pour the mixture into the pan and stir up carefully. Adjust the seasoning before serving with chunks of bread.
