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Beef olives with gravy poured.
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4.50 from 10 votes

Savory British Beef Olives

Beef Olives have been a part of British cuisine since the 16th century. Given the name, one would think that they actually contain olives. Actually, this is not the case. “Olive” is a British term for for wrapping meat around a savory stuffing, browning it and finishing it in a brown sauce. 
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time3 hours 15 minutes
Total Time3 hours 35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: English
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 848kcal

Ingredients

Stuffing

  • 4.25 ounces (120 grams) ground pork
  • 4.25 ounces (120 grams) smoked bacon, finely chopped
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
  • cup (1.75-ounces, 50 grams) dried breadcrumbs
  • 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage (about 30 leaves)
  • Pinch of nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
  • teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Beef Olives

  • 4 6 to 8 ounce beef steaks (suggest round or flank steak)
  • ¼ cup (1.25-ounces) all-purpose flour for dusting the Beef Olives
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 large onion, peeled ad sliced
  • 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch sticks
  • 1 ¼ cups (10-ounces, 300 ml) beef broth
  • 1 ¼ cups (10-ounces, 300 ml) red wine
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions

Stuffing

  • Process all the stuffing ingredients in food processor fitted with steel blade until finely minced, about 30 seconds. Shape into cylinders; set aside.

Beef Olives

  • Pound the steak to about ¼-inch thickness. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place sausage in middle of each steak. Roll up and secure with kitchen twine. Lightly dust with all purpose flour.
  • To cook, heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat; brown the Beef Olives on all sides. Remove from pan; onions and carrots. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Add beef broth, red wine, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Cook on stovetop or in a 325° F oven for 2-½ to 3 hours, or until meat is fork tender.
  • Remove Beef Olives from Dutch oven. Strain liquid in a wire strainer set over a bowl. Press as much liquid as possible from vegetables. Pour reserved liquid into fat separator. Return liquid to Dutch oven. To thicken, add some Bisto mixed with beef broth to desired consistency. Return Beef Olives to sauce. Heat for 5 minutes or more until Beef Olives are heated through.
  • Remove kitchen twine and serve. Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 848kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 56g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 162mg | Sodium: 1307mg | Potassium: 1143mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 10190IU | Vitamin C: 8.1mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 5.2mg