While I love the simplicity of a super-quick pasta dish or an easy Asian stir-fry, my favourite type of cooking takes place on the weekends when I have time to spare. It usually comes in the form of a big, hefty pot, blipping away on the hob or slowly baking in the oven. The result is tender meat in a rich, dark sauce that has benefited from the love and care you put in at the start and its long, slow cooking time.

Soups and stews will always be what I turn to when in search of comfort. It all started when I was very young and first tried Irish stew on a cold and cosy winter’s day, when the heat from the kitchen had made all the windows fog up. Many of the soups in this chapter have a bit of substance to them, using grains and pulses to bulk them out, so as my granddad would say, ‘there’s a bit of eatin’ and drinkin’ in them’!

The true beauty and cleverness of this particular type of cooking, as any good cook will know, is that you can transform the most inexpensive cuts of meat or unassuming ingredients into something fairly spectacular with very little work. Growing up, I was always amazed at my mom’s ability to feed a crowd with ease. Little did I know back then that the real secret to it was the preparation she’d done in advance, which made things run so smoothly. The star of most of her meals was in the oven well before dinner time, slowly cooking away, leaving only side dishes to worry about before guests arrived. I was always drafted in to serve up, but I didn’t mind – I was happy to enter into a bit of child labour in exchange for some trade secrets.

Most of the cuts of meat I have included in this chapter should only be cooked slowly and gently until they are tender and moist. If you aren’t familiar with cuts like shoulder of pork, ham hock, pork belly, beef skirt or chuck steak, don’t be put off: these recipes make them really worth trying and will result in truly delicious dinners. Some of these cuts of meat are pricier than others, but all are good value and will feed a large number of people. The dishes are satisfying and filling, so a little goes a long way.

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