Dry the meat with kitchen paper and if you have a piece of fat to cover it, fasten it with toothpicks!

Sometimes the butcher will cover it for you with a piece of fat.

To make your marinade, first slice the vegetables and mix with the crushed garlic, the herbs and wine and brandy.

Place your meat in this marinade and leave for about 8 hours or a good idea is to leave it overnight.

Following this time, take your meat out of the marinade and dry on kitchen towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place in a roasting tin in a hot oven 220C/425F/Gas7 for about 20 minutes to brown.

While the meat is in the oven you make the gravy that it will be cooked in - melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan add the flour and mix well until it is light brown.

Strain the marinade and slowly add this to the flour mixture with the stock and boil on a low heat for a few minutes stirring continuously.

Add the tomato puree and season with salt and pepper.

Take your meat out of the oven, pour off any melted fat and slowly add the gravy to the roasting tin.

Add the herbs and vegetables from the marinade.

Cover the tin with a lid or tin foil and leave in the oven at 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 for about 3 hours.

By covering the meat you do not have to continually baste it during cooking and it won't dry out.

When cooked, remove the herbs, leave the braised beef to stand for about 15 minutes before slicing.

Bring the gravy to a boil and if necessary, add a little brandy.

Serve on a hot serving dish or individual plates with gravy over it.