Tender beef braised slowly in red wine and stock takes a little preparation but is hard to beat.
Ingredients
For the beef shin
- 6 x 225g/8oz pieces
beef shin - 750ml/1pint 6fl oz
red wine -
vegetable oil, for frying - 200g/7oz
onion, roughly chopped - 150g/5oz
carrot, roughly chopped - 150g/5oz
celery, roughly chopped - 75g/3oz fresh
ginger, grated with skin on - 1½ litres/2½ pints veal or
beef stock - 5
bay leaves - 1 clove
- 1 tbsp
white peppercorns - 1 bunch
thyme - 3 tsp
sea salt
For the carrots
- 5
carrots - 125g/4½ oz
butter - 75g/3oz
sugar - 1½ tsp
salt - 4
star anise (wrapped in muslin cloth)
For the cabbage
- knob of
butter - 1
savoy cabbage, cut into large strips - 2 tbsp toasted
caraway seeds
Method
-
Place the beef shins into a large bowl with the red wine, cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for 24-48 hours.
-
Strain the shins through a sieve, reserving the wine, then pat the shins dry.
-
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3.
-
Bring the red wine to the boil in a saucepan and skim off the scum that comes to the top.
-
Heat a large casserole until medium hot, add a little vegetable oil and the onion, carrot, celery and ginger and cook until browned.
-
In a separate frying pan, fry the shins in a little oil until browned very well.
-
When the shins have browned, drain them into a colander to get rid of any excess cooking fat.
-
Place the shin on the top of the vegetables in the casserole, cover with the skimmed red wine and veal stock.
-
Add the bay leaves, clove, white peppercorns, thyme and salt.
-
Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid then place in the oven to braise for 2½ hours.
-
When cooked, remove from the oven and leave the shins to cool down in the stock.
-
When cool, remove the shins from the stock and pass the stock through a fine metal seive into a saucepan and skim off any fat.
-
Place the pan of liquid back onto the heat and cook over a medium heat until reduced to half the volume, then pass through a fine sieve again.
-
To reheat the shin, warm it through in a covering of shin stock.
-
For the carrots, place all the ingredients into a saucepan with 200ml/7floz water and cook over a medium heat until the carrots are soft.
-
Turn the heat up and cook over a high heat until the liquid glazes the carrots.
-
For the cabbage, heat a frying pan until medium hot, add the butter and cabbage, cover and cook until just tender.
-
Stir in the caraway seeds, season and serve.
-
To serve, pile the cabbage onto the plate, place the carrot alongside and then finish with the beef shin and sauce.
