Beef Shin Ragu

It pains me to start this post with a less than inspiring pic. I hope that the description will serve as the appetite whetter instead. It tastes bloody spectacular, I promise.

Thrift never translates into bounty as readily as when a cheap cut of meat becomes a tender, rich and satisfying supper. Shin is ideal for a ragu, as the meat falls apart easily with long slow cooking, and it pairs beautifully with pasta.

Ask your butcher to leave the bone in the shin. Failing that, add a pig’s trotter to the mix. A morsel of marrow is a lovely thing, but in its absence the gelatinous nature of the trotter is a more than acceptable substitute, and will improve the texture of the ragu no end.

Be adventurous with the aromatics. I’ve stuck to the usual suspects here, but you could try Stevie Parle’s suggestion of allspice, fennel seeds, and star anise, or a stick or two of cinnamon/cassia bark, and a dried chilli. Or, Pavel’s celery seed idea.

Serves 6

• 1.5 kg (3lb 5 oz) beef shin, thickly sliced into steaks (bone-in, if possible)
• 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
• 5 black peppercorns
• Bouquet garni (sprig of thyme, sprig of rosemary, 2 bay leaves, 2 sage leaves)
• 2 large glasses of medium-bodied French or Italian red wine
• 500ml good quality beef or chicken stock
• 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg, and a generous handful of grated Parmesan, to serve
• 2 tbsp light olive oil

For the Gremolate

• 1 handful of flatleaf parsley
• grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon, finely chopped
• garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped

Mix together all the gremolate ingredients.

Pre-heat your oven to 130°C / Gas ½. Add the olive oil to a large heavy casserole dish and warm over a medium heat. Season the meat and fry it in batches (you want it to brown and caramelise, not steam). Remove the meat to a plate, and set aside. Add the vegetables, peppercorns, and herbs to the casserole dish.

Turn down the heat, and sweat them gently for 10-15 minutes until soft but not coloured. Return the meat to the pan and add the wine, stock and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer then cover and cook in the oven for 4-5 hours (the longer the better). Check it every hour or so, to make sure it’s not drying out. If it is, add a little water.

Remove the meat from the sauce and tear it apart with a fork and spoon (it should yield wilfully). If you’d like a gooier sauce, reduce it on the hob before returning the shredded meat to the dish.

Remove the bouquet garni and season to taste. Serve with a robust pasta, such as rigatoni or pappardelle, or gnocchi, and sprinkle with the gremolata, some Parmesan, and a touch of grated nutmeg.

About lauranickoll

Laura Nickoll has written 14 posts on this blog.

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