Braised Beef Shin

I have been recipe blogging for about slightly more than a year now. I have enjoyed meeting new acquaintances, some are now e-mail buddies and many more I have yet to meet. Never once I sat down to think “what do I have to do next?”, the ideas and flow just came spontaneously, sometimes too much at once but always giving me so much fun on my keyboard.

I will be bringing my blog to another level from now on, mainly because I blog what I eat and cook at home. I am now at another phase of my life where my tastes and senses of food have changed a little. I am not losing my palate but I am expecting another ‘little bundle of joy’ into my family early next year. This would be great and exciting news for all expecting moms but may not be as appropriate for some. Nevertheless, pre-natal and post-natal food can be just as appetizing for just anyone who has the desire for a variety of good food.

As you all know, I have only a few designated categories, so all my pre-natal recipes will also be filed under the “Confinement Recipe Journal” until something is done later.

Here’s my first pre-natal recipe that I can bring myself to cook is “Braised Beef Shin”. Beef shin has a soft chewy texture after braising thus making it a nutritious energy providing dish for weak expectant mothers, which at the same time also helps strengthen ligaments and joints.

Ingredients

400 gm beef shin (whole, rinse, pat dry)
2 Australian carrots (cut into 2)
1 star anise
2 cloves
1 small cinnamon stick
1 tsp white peppercorns

seasoning

• 2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp brown sugar

2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
250 ml filtered hot water
sea salt

Method

1. Marinate the beef shin with the seasoning above for 2 hours.
2. Heat up a good quality clay pot and drizzle in some grapeseed oil.
3. Put in the star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick and peppercorns, followed by the beef shin. Sear the beef shin evenly in the clay pot and gradually add in a little hot water at a time until all the water is added. If you like the braise with a little more color, just add another teaspoon of dark soy sauce and light soy sauce into the clay pot.
4. Discard the cinnamon stick after simmering for 10 minutes. Continue to let the beef braise over very low heat, covered with a good lid. Turn the piece of beef every 15 minutes to allow even braising.
5. After an hour of braising, add the carrots and continue with the braising.
6. Let the beef braise for 2 – 2 1/2 hours overall or until the beef is tender when poked with a sharp paring knife. Sea salt to taste.
7. Turn off the heat, let the beef rest before slicing thinly. Carrots can then be cut into smaller bite size pieces for serving.