This week marked the sacred annual event that happens every time Autumn without fail - our oven stopped working for more than 20 minutes at a stretch - as reliable as the tides and heralding the dark cold nights that lay ahead. Being an old beast of a thing, it is to be expected, even if it isn’t celebrated.

While we wait for Gordon the repairman (not only are we on a first name basis, but he"s actually a shortcut in my phone and I am in his), I climbed under the counter to dust off the slow cooker to feed us this week. I do love the slow cooker - a sort of magic that means 10 minutes in the morning results in dinner I don’t feel like I’ve slaved over.

To celebrate slow cooker season, we have pulled together a new box of meat for you and a wee recipe to go with it. This box is a mix of our favourite slow cooking cuts

- Lamb Flank (between 650-750g)- perfect for slow roasting then pulling into tender strips for lancashire hot pot, pie or made into a spicy moroccan tagine.  

- Beef Brisket (roughly 1kg) - so often considered a "poor man's cut" our brisket is aged 30 days and there is nothing poor about it!! Its perfect for a log slow Sunday roast or if you are adventurous, it takes on a new depth in the smoker.

- Beef Stewing Steak (1kg) - how do you do yours?  I am partial to steak, ale and mushroom, with lots of rosemary and a flakey rough puff pastry.  My kids like theirs as chilli.

All of our meat is farmed using regenerative practices that actively promote carbon sequestration and prioritise animal well being.  Our meat is the best we've ever had and we are passionate about sharing it with the wider community.  

2% of every sale goes to fund work that supports local food systems. 

And now on to the recipe::

Lamb Flank & Thyme Pie

Ingredients:

1 Lamb Flank

2 Carrots, Chopped Into Rounds

3 Potatoes, Cubed

1 Onion, Chopped

2 Cloves Of Garlic, Chopped

Handful Of Kale, Chopped

Small Bunch Of Fresh Thyme

Puff Pastry

2 Tablespoons Of Cornflour

Instructions:

1. Place ingredients, except the puff pastry, cornflour and kale, in a slow cooker with 2 cups of water or stock. Lightly salt.  Cook for 8 hours on medium or until the meat falls apart.

2. When you are ready to make the pie, remove the flank and pull apart the meat with a fork.  Mix it and the chopped kale back into the stew. Mix the cornflour with cold water and stir through.

3. Place the stew into a pie dish and cover with puff pastry. Brush the crust with an egg or milk wash.

4. Bake at 180c for 15 minutes or until the puff pastry is browned.