S
hin of beef is so cheap and versatile and as long as you have a little bit of time on your hands to sit back, do nothing and watch and smell it turning into heavenly supper then you’re in for a treat. You can make many stews with shin of beef, traditional mushroom and bacon with some crunchy dumplings or an Asian themed dinner with some soy!
Serves 4
- 1-1.5kg shin beef (cut into chunks or big pieces)\
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 6 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 thumb sized piece fresh ginger, sliced
- 3 tbsp tart jam e.g. redcurrant or plum
- 150ml soy sauce
- 350-500ml apple juice
- 2 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 dried chillis
- Rice to serve
- Lime
- Coriander chopped
- Preheat the oven to 140 degrees.
- Heat a heavy cast-iron casserola pan over a medium high heat and add a splash of sunflower oil. Season he chunks of meat and add these to the pan to brown well on all sides.
- Once browned, remove and set aside on a plate.
- Reduce the heat of the pan to medium and add the onion and cook gently until starting to soften. Add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook for a few minutes until everything is starting to brown slightly (but not burn).
- Next return the meat to the pan and stir to combine.
- Add the jam and stir, followed by the soy sauce.
- Add enough apple juice to cover the meat but not drown it.
- Finally add the vinegar and the chillis.
- Cover with a lid and place in the oven for about 2 1/2 – 3 hours, checking a few times along the way.
- Before serving, sort out your rice recipe! I cooked some brown rice, squeezed in some lime and chopped coriander.
- Remove the lid of the casserole after about 2 1/2 hours and turn up the heat to about 200 to brown the top of the meat (if you like).
- When ready to serve, spoon on top of the rice and serve with a wedge of lime and some fresh steamed green vegetables.
Hugh serves his with noodles…but I’ve never been a fan. I think this works far better with some zesty lime rice.
