Recipe: Beef shin ragu with focaccia crumb & pickled onions

Beef shin ragu with pickled onions & focaccia crumb

Ingredients

Ragu

1 x Carrot
1 x Onion
1 x Celery stick
1 x Garlic clove
2kg Beef Shin (no bone)
660g Blended tomatoes
660g x Beef Stock
170ml x Red Wine

Bouquet garni of 4 springs of thyme, 2 springs of rosemary, 3 bay leave

70g Mascarpone

Lemon 

Pasta of your choice 

Crumb 

200g x Focaccia
20ml x Olive oil
10g x Finely chopped rosemary
Salt and pepper

Pickled Onions

1x Red onion (peeled, sliced into wedges)
100ml Red wine vinegar
60ml Red cooking wine
20ml Water
70g Sugar

Method 

Ragu

1. Start by finely dicing the carrot, onion, celery and garlic

2. In a medium size pan, heat a little olive oil and add in the chopped ingredients

3. Sweat on a low heat for 8-10 minutes until very soft and translucent.

4. Season the beef. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large oven proof pan

5. Sear the beef on all sides

6. Add the softened vegetables, blended tomatoes, red wine, beef stock and bouquet garni. Stir to combine and bring to a boil

7. Transfer to a 90 degrees c, preheated oven and cover in tinfoil or a lid

8. Cook for 10 hours

9. Remove the beef from the pan and shred

10. Reduce the sauce on a medium heat

11. Whilst the sauce is reducing shred the beef

12. Add the beef back to the sauce once reduced

13. Cook your pasta

14. Prior to serving, finish by stirring in 60g mascarpone, a squeeze of lemon juice and season to taste

15. Combine the ragu with your pasta

16. Serve with a sprinkling of crumb & pickled onions

Crumb 

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees C

2. Dice the focaccia and bake for 45 minutes

3. Once cool, blend into crumbs

4. Heat a pan and toast the crumbs along with the oil and the finely chopped rosemary

Pickled Onions  

1. Add the red wine vinegar, red wine, sugar and water to a saucepan over a medium heat

2. Bring the liquid to a boil

3. Add the red onion wedges

4. Simmer for 2-3 minutes

5. Strain the onions and reduce the liquid by two thirds

6. Pour the reduction back over the onions