Topside Stew With Rice

Directions

1. 1
   Chop the onion, the garlic cloves and the carrots fairly thinly and saute in the saucepan with a good amount of olive oil.
2. 2
   Trim any excess fat off the topside, already in 1/2-inch thick slices. You might want to brown before adding it but I've found that it ends up equally well without doing so, however you prefer.
3. 3
   Stir the flour into the saucepan, as a thickener, and soon after that add the cup of white wine or sherry. Add the salt and pepper.
4. 4
   Put the topside in the saucepan with the rest of the ingredients. Heat up some water and pour it in to cover the topside fully. Add the thyme, rosemary and cloves.
5. 5
   Cover the pot, cook at medium heat so that it is boiling constantly but nothing too vigorous. This should be ready in about an hour if you are preparing it in a normal saucepan. In a pressure cooker it shouldn't take as long. Keep adding water if the water level falls too much, and when it's almost done (you can tell because the meat should be very tender, soft and fairly easy to cut into even with a spoon), take the lid off to allow to reduce.
6. 6
   About 10 minutes before the meat is ready (don't worry, it won't overcook), start preparing the rice. Heat up some olive oil in a pan. Gently squash the garlic clove and add it to the pan.
7. 7
   Once it's golden, add the rice and stir around. Immediately add the same volume of water. Heat up some more water (again, one cup of water per cup of rice added) and add it to the rice. Add salt, pepper and a bay leaf. Lower the heat to medium so that it boils but doesn't get too vigorous.
8. 8
   After 10-12 minutes, the rice should be ready. It should go fairly dry, the bottom can go very crispy but shouldn't burn. Serve the rice, discarding the bay leaf.
9. 9
   Serve the topside with the sauce on top of the rice or next to it. You may wish to serve the meat only, then use a blender with all the carrot and onion to get a smooth (and somewhat thicker) sauce, to pour over the meat. I prefer it with all the pieces of onion and carrot.