Slow Cooked Spiced Shin of Beef Casserole (thanks to Carl Bown)

Prep time 10-15 mins, Cooking time 3 hours.

Ingredients:
Olive Oil for frying
1lb / 454g Shin of Beef ~ cut into 1 inch chunks
1 medium sized onion - roughly chopped
1 Carrot - chopped into 0.5cm cubes
4 Clove of garlic - chopped
1 sq inch of Root Ginger sliced into thin strips
1 medium hot Chilli
2 tbsp Cider Vinegar
75 ml light soy sauce
100ml beer (not lager)
1/2 Apple roughly chopped
200 ml of Crème Fraiche (*optional)

Method:

1. Pre-Heat the over to 120°C/gas ½

2. Heat 2 tbsp of Olive Oil in a frying pan

3. Season the Beef well then fry it to seal in the flavour, transferring it into a casserole dish once cooked.

4. Add the Onion, Ginger & Carrot to the frying pan and cook on a gentle heat until the onions start to become translucent

5. Add the Garlic and Chilli cook for a further minute

6. Add the Cider Vinegar, Beer, Soy Sauce & Apple and stir to lift all that beef flavouring from the bottom of the frying pan

7. Bring the mixture up to simmering point then add to casserole dish with the beef.

8. Add a pinch of pepper and then cook for 3 hours or the beef is soft and tender.

9. Finally if you've chosen to do so stir in the Crème Fraiche, making sure the casserole has stopped simmering first.

*Crème Fraiche helps to add more body to the sauce, but you could choose to leave out for a more 'Chinese ' style flavour, or even experiment with coconut milk for a more Thai style flavouring.

~ Shin of Beef can be substituted for any other beef cut that requires a long time to cook.

Serve with Rice, Greens / Beans or Noodles.