Festive slow-cooked beef shin in a guinness and ancho sauce - part 2

Festive slow-cooked beef shin in a Guinness and ancho sauce

A wonderfully rich celebratory beef dish using the complex, sweet and rounded flavours of a trio of Mexican chillies to add real depth of flavour.

This is a real showstopper of a dish that will work beautifully for any feast. Cool Chile sells the collection of chillies below in one pack, called the Workhorse chillies.

El Maestro Sierra, the Olorosso sherry, is available here. For the polenta, make sure it's served immediately otherwise it can get gluey.

Ingredients

• 1.5kg beef shin, bone out, trimmed and cut into 5cm chunks
• 2 chipotle chillies, opened up like a book and de-seeded or 2 tbsp chipotle en adobo
• 2 ancho chillies, opened up like a book and de-seeded
• 3 guajillo chillies, opened up like a book and de-seeded
• 3 red onions, peeled and halved
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 200ml Guinness
• 1x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsp of soft brown sugar
• 50g 70% cocoa dark chocolate, broken into small bits
• Orange zest and thyme leaves, to serve

For the soft polenta

• 1.5L chicken stock or water
• 250g quick cook polenta
• 1 tsp salt
• 50g butter
• 100g grated parmesan

Method

1. Make the marinade first as per chapter 3a. Then rub all over the beef and marinate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
2. Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/350F/gas 4.
3. Warm a large, dry frying pan over a medium heat and when hot toast the chillies on both sides for 30-40 seconds a side until warmed through and fragrant.
4. Transfer to a bowl and pour over boiling water. Leave for 10-15 minutes to rehydrate.
5. Once the beef has marinaded, bring it to room temperature.
6. Heat a casserole over a high heat and when smoking hot add 2 tablespoons of oil and brown the beef on all sides before removing to a plate. Do this in batches to avoid overcrowding your pan.
7. Drain the chillies, keeping a few tablespoons of the soaking liquid back. Add the chillies to the blender along with the red wine vinegar and blitz to break down to a rough paste.
8. Now add the onions and garlic and blitz again until smooth. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and a little splash of the soaking water and blitz again.
9. Wipe out the bottom of the pan with a damp, clean cloth before adding in another two tablespoons of oil and then pouring in the chilli puree. Turn the heat down to medium and stir the paste, cooking it in the oil for 2-3 minutes.
10. Now add the Guinness to the pan, along with the tinned tomatoes and the seared beef.
11. When you are nearly ready to eat bring the stock or water to simmering point and slowly pour in the polenta and half a teaspoon of sea salt. Whisk the polenta for 10-12 minutes until the polenta is thick. Turn the heat right down, stir in the butter and cheese, taste and season with salt and pepper until it is tasting wonderful. Dot with a little more butter, cover with a piece of greaseproof paper to stop it forming a skin and keep warm in the oven, or on a low heat.
12. Once the beef is falling apart, taste it and add a tablespoon more vinegar if it needs it. stir in the chocolate and serve alongside the cheesy polenta and some braised greens. Top with a little orange zest and some thyme leaves and serve. This beef is sensational but as with all meat braises if you can make the beef a day or two ahead the flavour will improve even more.