Casper's italian beef stew

1. Prep all of the ingredients to be ready to be put into the dish

2. Heat a tiny amount of frying olive oil and fry the pancetta (bacon) until crispy. Set aside to drain on kitchen towel.

3. Heat up 2 tbsp of frying olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Mix flour with salt and pepper. Roll meat in mixture and brown the meat in batches on all sides. Set aside.

4. Clean pan and add a healthy amount of the medium olive oil (for sauces) to the pan. Once hot, add chili, celery, onions and carrots and cook over a low heat until soft and flavourful (15 - 20 mins). Add garlic and cook for a further few minutes to impart flavour. Do not allow the vegetables to colour!

5. Add beef and pancetta back into the pan and stir Crank up the heat and add the bottle of red wine. Cook off the alcohol (reducing by at least 2/3rds). Add the beef stock and cook for a further 1/2 hour on a medium-low heat.

6. Add chopped tomatoes and cook for a further hour on a low heat

7. Add the bay leaves and simmer gently for 15 minutes

8. Add mushrooms (if using) and chuck in the rest of the herbs. Cook for another 15 - 30 minutes until the meat is tender. Pick out and discard the bay leaves. Check for seasoning and serve with mashed potatoes and crispy fried sage leaves.