Chilli Con Carnivore / Meat With Matthews

This is a winter favourite in the House Of Matthews. The key with this dish is to get it slowly bubbling away and then leave it for an hour or more on a very low heat.

You can change up the ingredients a bit but the principle remains the same. Cook the vegetables with the herbs and spices. Add the meat and brown over a medium heat. Then add the tomatos and a glass of wine, with the beef stock. Bring to the boil and then put on a low heat and let it bubble and reduce for an hour. If it is looking dry then just add a splash more wine. The longer you leave it, the thicker it gets.

When you are ready, serve with the rice.

If you like it hot (as some do) then kick it up with your favourite hot sauce. Be careful of this at dinner parties. A mind-blowing / pregnancy-inducing level of heat is de trop. It is a shame if an elegant dinner is ended with half the people massaging yoghurt into their tongue!

• tbsp oil

• 1 large onion

• 1 red pepper

• 2 garlic cloves, peeled

• 1 heaped tsp hot chilli powder (or 1 level tbsp if you only have mild)

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 500g lean minced beef

• 1 beef stock cube

• 400g can chopped tomatoes

• ½ tsp dried marjoram

• 1 tsp sugar

• 2 tbsp tomato purée

• 410g can red kidney beans

• plain boiled long grain rice, to serve

• red wine (up to half a bottle to pour in the mix). Something fruity and full bodied like a Malbec.