Serves 4-6
Vegetable oil, for browning
1kg beef shin or brisket, cut into fist-sized chunks
2 onions, peeled and roughly chopped
1 x thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
Handful of fresh coriander, stalks separated from leaves, roughly chopped
30ml water
2 tsp Chinese five spice
2 whole star anise
1 tsp black peppercorns
80g brown sugar
100ml light soy sauce
3 tbsp tomato purée
Beef stock, to cover
To serve:
Basmati rice, cooked
- Preheat the oven to 150˚C/130˚C fan/gas mark 2.
- Heat a little of the oil in a large pan over a medium-high heat. Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, brown the beef on all sides, adding more oil if needed. When the beef is browned, transfer to a casserole dish.
- Place the onions, ginger, garlic and coriander stalks in a food processor or mini chopper and whizz into a paste.
- Use a ball of kitchen paper to wipe out the pan. Return to a medium heat and add the paste along with the water. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the paste is fragrant.
- Add the five-spice, star anise and peppercorns and cook for one minute. Add the sugar, soy sauce and tomato purée. Stir in a splash of beef stock and stir to combine, then pour the mixture over the beef in the casserole dish. Add more beef stock until the beef is just covered.
- Cover the dish tightly with tin foil and then put on the lid. Place in the oven for three hours until the beef is very tender.
- Lift the beef out of the sauce onto a board and shred using two forks.
- With the lid off, place the casserole over a high heat and boil the sauce until reduced by about half.
- Stir the beef back into the sauce. Serve over rice scattered with the reserved coriander leaves.
Per serving: 426kcals, 13g fat (4.5g saturated), 22g carbs, 15.9g sugars, 53.3g protein, 1.8g fibre, 1.246g sodium