Beef Shin Ragù
||||||||
1.5kg beef shin
Olive oil, sea salt & pepper
2 onions (chopped)
4 garlic cloves (crushed)
4 carrots (chopped)
4 celery sticks (chopped)
400ml red wine
3tbsp tomato purée
1tbsp balsamic vinegar
2x 400g chopped tomatoes
600ml beef stock
4 rosemary sprigs
2 bay leaves
A large handful of parsley (finely chopped)
OPTIONAL ADDITION
5 large portobello mushrooms (thickly sliced)
3 garlic cloves (crushed)
TO SERVE
Fresh pappardelle
Parmesan (grated)
Preheat your oven to 160°C / Fan 140°C / Gas 3.
Season the beef shin with salt before browning, I try to use large pieces with the bone in but large cuts of stewing beef from the supermarket will also work for this dish. First heat 1tbsp of oil in a heavy-based casserole dish over a medium-high heat and brown the beef shin on all sides, in batches, so not to overcrowd the pan and using 1tbsp of oil for each batch. This should take about 5-7 minutes per batch, then set aside.
Reduce to a low-medium heat and carefully wipe the pan with kitchen paper, then add about 2tbsp of oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions, allow them to soften (3 minutes) before adding the garlic, carrots and celery, season and sauté for 5 minutes, until softened.
Deglaze the pan by adding the red wine, allow the alcohol to cook off, then add the tomato purée, balsamic vinegar, chopped tomatoes, stock, rosemary and bay leaves. Increase the heat and bring to the boil. Stir the browned beef back into the sauce and reduce to a simmer.
Once the sauce is simmering, cover the pan tightly, either with a sealed lid or I add tin foil on the inside of the lid before placing in the oven to ensure moisture is kept in. Cook for a minimum of 3 hours, I suggest cooking for longer if you can, the meat will become more tender if you cook it for 4-6 hours.
Remove the casserole dish from the oven and then remove the pieces of beef shin onto a chopping board or plate. You can remove and discard the bay leaves and rosemary stalks at this point too. Using a hand blender, blend the sauce until smooth, if it is too liquidy, return to the boil, without the lid and reduce until it reaches the right consistency. Then roughly shred the beef using a fork and stir back into the sauce.
In the meantime, if you decide to add mushrooms too, heat 1tbsp of oil or butter in a frying pan over a medium-high heat. Fry the garlic and mushrooms, season, and cook until softened and juices have evaporated. Stir the mushrooms into the simmering ragù and once you are ready to serve with the pappardelle, add the parsley and any final seasoning (to taste). Serve immediately, or chill until serving, I like to make it a day in advance to intensify the flavours.
||||||||
Recipe inspired by Tom Kerridge
