Warm up the coldest winter day with this casserole recipe using shin of beef. It’s an underrated and relatively cheap cut of beef but incredibly tasty. It can be quite sinewy but don't ket that put you off; cooked properly these membranes break down to leave the most tender beef you’ve ever tasted. If you can’t find shin of beef, stewing steak will do. I’ve left the vegetables whole. It’s the way I remember my Nan making it when I was many years younger. It’s not the quickest recipe you’ll find on these pages but it’s not difficult to prepare and I promise you it’s well worth the time invested.
Ingredients
1 kilo shin of beef, diced into 1 inch pieces
4 medium onions, peeled and left whole
8 carrots, peeled and left whole
250g of swede, peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces
250g turnips, peeled and diced into 1 inch pieces
4 leeks, cut into across the centre so that they stay whole
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters (substitute with dumplings if you prefer)
100g pearl barley
Water
Freshly ground black pepper
1 small handful of both Thyme and Rosemary
3 beef stock cubes
3tbs vegetable or olive oil
One third of a large bottle East Coast Chilli Company Hot & Fruity sauce (Compulsion)
Instructions
Heat the oil in a pan to a medium-high heat and stir- fry the beef until it starts to crisp up and caramelise on the edges. Please don’t skip this step: it produces the most wonderful flavour and helps to start break down those sinews.
Add to a casserole dish with the remaining ingredients except the potatoes and cover with water.
Cook at 160 degrees Celcius for 2 and a quarter hours. This lower temperature and longer cooking time will further help to break down the sinews.
After 2 and a quarter hours, remove from the oven, stir well and taste. Add more East Coast Chilli Company Hot & Fruity sauce (Compulsion) if required. Add the potatoes. (Add them earlier and they’ll start to break up in the liquid. You want the potatoes whole, not a soggy mess.)
Take the cooked ingredients out of the mixture using a slotted spoon and place into serving bowls.
Pour over some of the cooking liquor. You may want to thicken this up by reduction and/or the addition of some gravy granules.
Serve with a crispy baguette.
Note: If there’s any left refrigerate and try the soup recipe also listed on these pages.
Recipe by Chilli Sauce from The East Coast Chilli Company at https://www.eastcoastchillicompany.co.uk/chilli-sauce-recipes/main-courses/hot-main-courses/hot-spicy-beef-casserole/