Groaty Dick

Groaty Dick or Groaty Pudding is a dish that is traditionally served on Guy Fawkes night in the Black Country.

I made a third sized Groaty Dick and it filled an average sized casserole so for this amount use a large casserole dish with a tightly fitting lid. I was going to take photos of it when it was on the plate but it looks as strange as it sounds. However, do not let appearances deceive you, it’s delicious!

Put 675 grams of sliced leeks in the bottom of the casserole dish. There is no need to oil the dish as there is no need for fat in this recipe.

Put 225 grams of porridge oats on top of the leeks making sure that they’re evenly covered.

Finally put 675 grams of  bite sized shin of beef or skirt on top of the leeks and oats. Both shin and skirt are tough meats so benefit from a long cook.

Generously grind some fresh black pepper across the top and scatter about a teaspoon of salt across it also. These seasonings can be altered when you serve up. You are more likely to need more salt than pepper.

Fill the casserole dish with enough water to cover the ingredients. By cover I mean at least a centimetre above them. Use more water is you’re intending to cook it for more than three hours.

Bake in an oven set to 150 C for at least three hours.

Note: During the cooking time this will look an absolute mess and when you put it onto the plates it will resemble a richly coloured brown mess. Don’t let the look put you off because it really is gorgeous. Because there’s a lot of oats in it you don’t need potatoes just green vegetables.