A great chilli con carne should be in every home cook's repertoire thanks to its versatility. Great with rice, nachos, on a baked potato or in a burrito, this minced beef staple is at its best when slow-cooked for an intense and rich depth of flavour. You can cook it in a greater quantity as it freezes really well and then you'll have it on hand when you need it. And make sure you're using a good-quality beef stock – this will make a world of difference.
Who doesn't love succulent and juicy meatballs, smothered in a rich tomato sauce? This Greek version of the classic combines both minced beef and lamb or pork and flavours it with sweet paprika, cinnamon and cumin. The tomato sauce is equally as fragrant with the aromas of thyme, garlic and bay leaf. Lovely to make when you want a change from meatballs with pasta, these morsels of joy can be eaten with warm flatbreads or with orzo or potato mash and a green salad.
There are some cuts of beef that benefit enormously from low and slow cooking so let your slow cooker do the work for you. This is also a great option if you're after that summer barbecue feeling but don't have an option to grill. For best results, leave the meat to marinate overnight and, when ready, serve with coleslaw, sweetcorn and fries. Have any marinade left over? Pour it into a tightly covered jar and it'll keep in the fridge for up to three months.
One of the things you really ought to know is how to cook classic steak and, trust us, it doesn't take much to really master it. There are a few simple steps to follow – buy good quality meat, take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking, remember to season generously and always leave to rest after cooking. Don't skip the garlic butter as that will add an extra oomph to your steak and is handy to have in the fridge when you don't have time to make a sauce.
This rustic pasta bake is meatballs in tomato sauce taken to the next level. A beautiful mess of rich, sweet tomato sauce, little, juicy meatballs and puddles of melted mozzarella, this dish is a true comfort food. Don't skimp on the garlic – it might seem like a lot but it's what gives the tomato sauce its incredible flavour. Similarly, make sure you do cube one of the mozzarella balls. This means you'll find little pockets of cheese throughout the dish, not just melted on top.
A Korean favourite, bulgogi is a dish that combines thin, marinated strips of beef that are flash cooked with shredded vegetables, brown rice and a fried egg. Spicy and savoury yet fresh and light, this dish makes for a brilliant and speedy protein-packed lunch or dinner. And while the list on ingredients for the beef might seem lengthy, you probably have most things, like cornflour, soy sauce and sesame oil, at home already.
If you've never tried a smash burger before, this is the sign to do it. The burger patties are made as usual before they're flattened with a spatula and grilled on a chapa (a heavy-duty flat surface you put on your grill bars to cook on). This way of cooking creates lots of crispy and crunchy corners to the burger that are utterly irresistible. The recipe pairs them with bacon, cheese and sweetcorn in a brioche bun.
Get the recipe for Cheddar, corn and chilli smash burgers here
Ready in less than half an hour, this warming broth is full of spice and fragrant aromatics. Served with rice noodles and thinly sliced beef, this soup is excellent when you're feeling a little under the weather and need a hug in a bowl. Finally, make sure you don't skip the squeeze of a lime at the end. It might seem like a weird addition to broth, but it'll help cut through the richness of it and will intensify the aromatic flavours.
You can never have too many meatball recipes and this meatball sub is bound to be a family favourite. Served with a generous helping of cheese and a rich tomato sauce, these are ideal for a comfort food dinner that beats ordering fast food. The meatballs and the sauce also freeze well so make extra and freeze separately for when there's little time to serve dinner.
Get the recipe for baked meatball sub here
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Another great skill to have is knowing how to make a cheaper cut of beef taste absolutely incredible. Skirt or hanger steak used in this recipe is flavoursome and inexpensive but needs to be cooked quickly over a very high heat so is a great option for the barbecue. Chimichurri, a traditional Argentinian herby sauce, is one of the best accompaniments to steak as its fresh and zesty flavours cut through the richness – make it in advance and chill for a few hours but let it come back up to room temperature before serving.
A family classic, spaghetti bolognese is one of those recipes that has a different variation in almost every household. But did you know you can make the sauce in your slow cooker, leaving you free to get on with other things? It takes around four hours to cook (if cooking on high) and is infused with the flavours and aromas of red wine and rosemary. Similarly to chilli con carne, make sure you choose good-quality beef stock and season generously.
One of the beef cuts that benefits from being cooked slowly is brisket as time and heat will transform it into a flavoursome, melt-in-your-mouth bite. This recipe takes a long time to cook, but not a lot of it is hands on as most of the cooking is done in the oven and your patience will be more than rewarded once you bite into it. To make perfectly shredded beef, you can simply use two forks to pull the meat apart.
A real French bistro classic, these divine parcels are similar to a British dish known as beef olives. The thin slices of beef are stuffed with sausage meat and cooked with onions, mushrooms and stock to create a rich sauce that covers the paupiettes when serving. They're great with a creamy mash and green beans.
This dish is a real showstopper, perfect for a dinner party when you want to impress your guests. In this recipe the vegetables and the sauce are cooked first and added to a heatproof serving dish. Then, slices of raw beef are added on top and sizzling hot oil is poured over the top to cook the beef straight in the dish. It's truly impressive and even more delicious to eat.
Everyone needs a good special occasion roast beef recipe they can fall back on. This recipe is an excellent guide on how to cook it to your liking, but do make sure you rest it for the full time otherwise the meat won't be as tender and succulent. Don't forget to use the juices from the roasting tray to make your gravy and keep any leftovers for delicious beef sandwiches the next day.
Pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup, is laden with fragrant spices – star anise, five spice, black peppercorns, cinnamon, coriander – and this recipe uses a slow cooker to intensify the flavours. With a soft kick from the chilli, the broth is comforting while the beef simply melts in your mouth. It's one to save for cold and rainy days.
Keen to try something other than burgers the next time you're grilling? These spiced beef skewers will hit just the spot. Make sure you pick beef with a higher fat content – at least 20% – as that will ensure the kebabs stay succulent during cooking and they'll get a lovely char on the outside. When ready to serve, plate on a bed of hummus and top with a zingy mix of red onion, lemon and parsley.
Mash up two of our favourite foods together and you get these incredible cheesesteak nachos. Perfect to serve when having people over, these loaded nachos are sure to be a hit. Feel free to experiment with toppings, but one thing that's essential is nailing the cheese sauce. Make sure you don't overcook the butter and once it's mixed with flour, pour in the milk slowly and don't stop whisking so it doesn't go lumpy – the mixture will be very thick at first but it'll smoothen out once you've whisked in more milk.
A British winter classic, beef stew with dumplings is an excellent money-saving dish. You can use any cheaper cut here, like chuck or shin, that'll benefit from being slow-cooked and a few spoonfuls of Worcestershire sauce add a tasty savoury note that helps the stew taste even richer. And once it has had enough time to infuse, the dumplings are added just for long enough to cook and absorb some of that rich, beefy gravy.
Lasagne is a classic for a reason and that reason is layers of perfectly cooked pasta, luscious béchamel sauce and rich tomato beef sauce topped with perfectly melted, gooey cheese. Although you might think homemade lasagne is a lot of effort, the assembly won't take you much longer than 20 minutes and you can cut corners by whizzing the vegetables in the food processor rather than chopping and there's no need to pre-cook the lasagne sheets either.
This dish just zings with the classic Thai aromatic flavours of lemongrass, ginger, chilli, fish sauce, sugar and lime leaves. The recipe uses a ready-made curry paste so it's pretty quick to put it all together, but you could also make your own if you like. If you can't find fresh Thai basil leaves, use mint or coriander instead and serve with fragrant Thai jasmine rice.
Seared thin slices of beef are a brilliant addition to salads in summer or for a quick lunch. Based on a Vietnamese favourite shaking beef, this dish showcases how meat, fresh vegetables and a tangy dressing can be a winning combination. Make sure you choose a beef cut that has some marbling – once cooked it'll blend with the sauce perfectly.
A take on that famous burger from the Golden Arches, Big Max is pretty easy to make. It's likely you already have the sauce ingredients, like mayo, mustard and garlic powder at home. The trickiest thing here is making sure the sauce is properly blended – to achieve that signature flavour you'll want to whisk it until you can't feel the texture of the onion and garlic powders any more. Finally, when cooking the beef patties, leave them for two minutes on each side without moving so they get a bit crispy on the outside.
No doubt beef wellington is a tricky dish to master and pretty expensive too as you'll need a good cut of beef fillet so reserve it for special occasions. When you do cook it, use shop-bought pâté and ready-made pastry to speed up the process and make sure you properly seal the edges of the pastry to lock in the juices. And don't skip pre-cooking the beef – this is absolutely essential to avoid a soggy pastry bottom.
An easy evening meal, enchiladas is one of those dishes that you could have things prepped in advance and ready to go for when you need them. The beef filling can be batch-cooked and frozen and the tortillas keep in the freezer well too – take them out of the freezer around 20 minutes before cooking to let thaw. The milk might seem a slightly odd addition, but it helps soften the meat, resulting in the most delicious filling.
A dish that takes minutes to make but tastes like it's been cooking for hours, Hong Kong beef is warming and aromatic. The fragrant soup base is a great vessel for the rich and savoury steak that's paired with noodles perfect for slurping in front of the TV. If you can't find the crushed yellow bean sauce, try hoisin instead, but decrease the amount slightly as it's a bit sweeter.
Originating from Indonesia, beef rendang is a rich and tender coconut-based curry. Cooked slowly, the beef is reduced down to that falling-apart stage – don't worry if it's looking a little dry, that's how rendang is supposed to be as it's not a wet curry. You could also add potatoes cut into large chunks to bulk out the dish more. Before serving, give it a good stir and plate alongside steamed plain rice.
Another dish you can leave in the oven and forget about for a couple of hours, this ragù is great for using cheaper cuts like shin. Time transforms it into a delicious, melt-in-your-mouth texture that's enveloped by an unctuous rich sauce – you could cook double and freeze the leftovers for later. It's best served with pasta and a generous grating of Parmesan on top.
This easy Indian-inspired curry is made with minced beef and only takes 10 minutes to prepare so is perfect for busy weeknights. There's a quick homemade curry paste to make with green chillies, onion, garlic and ginger and the curry itself contains mushrooms, frozen peas, spinach and tomatoes to up your vegetable levels too. Serve with some thick yogurt to balance the heat and basmati rice.
Other parts of the beef, like all steak cuts and fillet, only need the lightest of touches to cook so are perfect for quick dinners. This 20-minute black pepper beef recipe is a twist on a takeaway classic and covers the meat in a rich black pepper sauce. As everything here cooks super quick, make sure you have all ingredients prepped and ready to go in the pan before you start cooking. This is perfect with rice but you could also stir in your favourite noodles at the end.