Recipe: Asian Style Braised Shin of Beef With Sweet and Sour Salad

Asian Style Braised Shin of Beef With Sweet and Sour Salad

I’m keeping with the Asian dishes this January, they seem virtuous enough to be regarded as healthy but they are sneakily comforting for when you have had a cold shitty day.

Also, I have been thinking about Asia alot recently, one of my favourite people just left to go travelling around Asia and I am both simultaneously delighted and envious. So this is me trying to make myself feel better for not being in Thailand, travelling through lush jungles, or stunning beaches, or eating all manner of delicious food that I can’t even begin to imagine.

I made this dish for her last week, and we scoffed and slurped it down as we had our final 4-hour rant filled gossip marathon that can only happens between us.

Asian Style Braised Shin of Beef With Sweet and Sour Salad

I saw this recipe on Nigella Lawson’s TV show and I had to make it, this was the first time I have ever cooked with shin of beef and it won’t be the last, it is so tasty and tender when cooked slowly and you get so much for your money! I went to my local butcher to get it and he LITERALLY came out the fridge with a cow’s leg and sliced it up using a band saw. I got a mountain of meat (and the marrow filled bones) for 8.50euro, a bargain!

Ingredients

For the beef

• 2 onions, peeled, quartered
• 5cm/2in piece fresh root ginger, peeled, sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 tsp ground coriander
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 250ml/9fl oz Chinese cooking wine (or dry sherry)

• 4 tbsp soy sauce
• 4 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 2 litres/3½ pints beef stock, preferably organic
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 star anise
• 3.5kg/7½lb beef shin, on the bone, cut by the butcher into thick slices (or 1kg/2¼lb beef shin off the bone, cut into large cubes)

For the salad

• 3 carrots, peeled, cut into matchsticks
• 4 spring onions, cut into matchsticks
• 1 long red chilli, seeds removed, cut into matchsticks
• 20g/¾oz bunch fresh coriander, finely chopped

For the salad dressing

• 1 lime, juice only
• 4 tbsp Thai fish sauce
• 1 tsp caster sugar

Whizz up the onion, garlic, ground coriander and ginger in a food processor

Put a big pot on a medium heat and add the vegetable oil

Tip the oniony mixture into the pot

Let it cook for around 10 mins til it’s soft and starting to catch (add some water if you find its burning)

Add in your wine and bring up to boiling

Then add your vinegar, oyster sauce, sugar, soy sauce and stock

When it starts bubbling add your star anise and cinnamon

Then chuck in the meat and reduce to simmer

Simmer on low heat for 2 hours until the meat is soft and tender

Scoop the meat out, put in a roasting tray and cover with cling film, put in the oven on a low heat to keep warm

Turn the pot up to high heat and reduce by half

While that’s happening chop up all your veggies into matchsticks and cover with the dressing

Put on some thick egg noodles, drain when cooked and dress in oil to stop it sticking

Then serve up!