Neven Maguire: cooking low and slow with good value cuts

I had a wonderful weekend at the Blas na Éireann awards recently in Dingle. I was there with Simply Better and was interviewed on stage by Brian McDermott, and I think that went down well. It is fantastic to see our food producers getting the recognition they deserve, and a big thank you to Artie Clifford, Fallon Moore and the Blas team. I’m already looking forward to next year, which will be the 20th edition.

With the weather getting cooler, this week I have two good-value cuts that are cooked low and slow. Osso buco is a slow-cooked Italian dish traditionally made with veal, but it works extremely well with beef shin and just needs longer, slower cooking. Lots of vegetables in here and layers of flavour. I keep the oven at about 140 degrees for three to four hours, or you could use a slow cooker.

The stuffed beef rolls recipe also uses a good-value cut, one that I think isn’t as popular as it should be. This is perfect comfort food for all the family on a chilly winter evening. It does take time, though, because it needs slow cooking to get as much flavour as possible and to become very tender, so that when these stuffed beef rolls are finished cooking, you will be able to eat them with a spoon.

I cannot finish without saying that I was very saddened to hear of the passing of Corinna Hardgrave, an outstanding champion of Irish food and restaurants. I was delighted when she visited Blacklion over the years. She was always kind to me, and I’m very grateful for her support. My condolences to her family. May she rest in peace.

Ingredients: Serves 4

3 tbsp rapeseed oil

1kg beef shin, cut into 5-7.5cm pieces

50g seasoned plain flour

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 carrots, chopped

2 celery sticks, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

300ml dry white wine

1 litre beef stock

2 tbsp tomato purée

Paired rind of 1 lemon

2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mashed potatoes, to serve

Method

1 Heat 2tbsp of the oil in a deep casserole that all of the pieces of beef shin will fit in comfortably.

2 Place the beef in a ziplock bag with the seasoned flour and shake until well coated, then take out, shaking off any excess. Add to the hot oil in the casserole and fry until nicely browned on all sides, turning regularly with tongs. Transfer to a plate.

3 Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the casserole, then tip in the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary, thyme and bay leaf and fry until lightly golden. Add the wine and cook rapidly until reduced by half, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any sediment.

4 Return the pieces of beef shin to the casserole and add the stock, tomato purée and lemon rind and season to taste. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 hours until the beef is completely tender and the sauce has slightly reduced, turning the shins every now and then and skimming off the excess fat from the surface of the sauce occasionally.

5 To serve, scatter the parsley over the beef and serve directly from the casserole with a large bowl of the mashed potatoes.

Ingredients: Serves 4

4 x 100g slices of lean topside of beef

2 tbsp rapeseed oil

1 onion, finely diced

2 carrots, finely diced

2 celery sticks, diced

600ml beef stock

250ml red wine

1 tbsp tomato purée

2 fresh thyme sprigs, plus extra sprigs to garnish

1 bay leaf

Creamy mashed potatoes, to serve

For the stuffing:

1 tbsp rapeseed oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2 tsp fresh thyme leaves

2 parsnips, finely grated

A pinch of mild curry powder

3 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4). First make the stuffing. Heat the oil in a sauté pan. Add the onion and thyme and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Add the grated parsnips and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring. Stir in the curry powder and cook for 20 minutes until the parsnips are tender.

2 Remove from the heat and stir in the breadcrumbs, then season to taste. Spread the stuffing in an even layer over the beef slices and roll them up to enclose, securing them with a cocktail stick.

3 To prepare the casserole, heat the oil in a casserole over a high heat and sear the beef parcels until brown all over. Remove to a plate and set aside. Next, sauté the onion, carrots and celery for a few minutes, until they are just catching colour. Add the beef stock, wine, tomato purée, thyme sprigs and bay leaf and bring slowly to the boil. Return the beef to the casserole, then cover and cook in the oven for 1-1½ hours, until the beef rolls are meltingly tender. Season to taste.

4 To serve, remove the cocktail sticks from the beef parcels and cut them into slices. Arrange on warmed plates and pour over the sauce. Garnish with the thyme and add a dollop of mashed potatoes to each one to serve if liked.