Shin of Beef with Sarladaise Potatoes

Main courseServes 4 - 6

# Pre-heat oven 150°C/gas mark 2. Place all the ingredients except the shin steaks, tomato purée and flour into a container large enough to hold everything. Mix together then add the shin steaks, making sure the liquid just covers the steaks. Cover and leave for a couple of hours to marinate. # In the meantime make your shin stock. Brown the trimmings with a little oil in a hot pan then tip into a large stockpot with a few onions, carrots and celery sticks. Cover with water and simmer for a couple of hours before straining. Alternatively you can use ready-made stock. # Remove the steaks from the marinade, pat dry with kitchen paper and dust with a little four. Heat the oil in a frying pan and brown the steaks on all sides, seasoning generously with freshly ground black pepper and a little sea salt. # Transfer the steaks to a casserole; add the marinade liquid, tomato purée and enough beef stock to cover the steaks completely. Cover with a lid or foil and cook gently in the oven for 2 hours. The meat should be meltingly tender when pushed gently with a fork. # Meanwhile make the potatoes. Line an ovenproof dish with baking parchment then select the nicest large slices of potato for the top and set aside. Soak the porcini mushrooms in warm water, drain through a fine sieve and reserve the stock. Rinse the mushrooms thoroughly in cold water several times. # Fry the bacon in a little butter until crisp and brown then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. In the same pan fry the mushrooms, onion and garlic in a little more butter then drain as before. # Crush the remaining potatoes together with the double cream and a little mushroom stock, seasoning generously. Fold in the onion, mushrooms, bacon and parsley and line the baking dish with the mixture. Arrange reserved potato slices nearly across the top, brush with butter and bake for 40 minutes at 160°C/gas mark 21/2, or until the top is crisp and golden. # Remove the steaks carefully from the casserole and set aside on a warm plate covered with foil. Pour the cooking liquid into a pan, straining and skimming off any grease. Boil rapidly until reduced down to a good sauce consistency and you are now ready to plate up.

Ingredients

* 500ml good dry white wine
* 100ml extra virgin olive oil
* 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
* 1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
* 2 sticks of celery, washed and roughly chopped
* 1 small leek, split roughly chopped and washed thoroughly
* 4 bay leaves
* 6 black peppercorns
* 1 tablespoon fine sea salt
* Handful of fresh rosemary
* 1 sprig thyme
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 4 centre cut bone-in beef shin steaks about, approx. 375g each
* 2 tablespoon tomato purée
* Flour, for dusting
* 500ml good beef stock (see below)

Beef Shin Stock

* Trimmings from the beef
* 1 tablespoon oil
* Onions, carrots and celery

Sarladaise Potatoes

* 2kg large white potatoes, boiled until tender in their skins then cooled, peeled and sliced thinly
* 225g dried porcini
* 200g butter
* 225g dry-cured bacon, sliced into thin lardons
* 2 onions, finely sliced
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* Handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley
* Salt and freshly ground pepper
* 400ml double cream

Method