Serves
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 tablespoons (60 ml) olive oil
4 cloves garlic, shaved with a Microplane
1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1 tablespoon toasted coriander seeds, coarsely ground
Peel of 1 lemon, shaved and sliced into thin ribbons
3 pounds (1.4 kg) beef shin—ask your butcher to cut it into 2 slices (see Note)
2 cups (480 ml) white wine
1 cup (240 ml) tomato puree (passata)
3 anchovy fillets
2 stalks celery, cut into 3-inch (7.5 cm) chunks
1 yellow onion, sliced into 1-inch (2.5 cm) wedges
½ teaspoon red chile flakes
2 (4-inch/10 cm) sprigs rosemary
Flaky salt, to finish
1/4 cup (5 g) mint leaves, larger leaves torn
1-inch (2.5 cm) piece fresh horseradish
Procedure
It took me a minute (and a trip to England) to realize that beef shins were the same cut as osso bucco. Beef shins are always a great deal and deliver so much rich intensity for the investment. It takes a long, slow background braise to cook the meat, but it’s almost completely passive—no need to fidget or fuss with the pan. A little bit of anchovy in the pan, along with some lemony coriander seed, helps add complex savory tones to the delicious meat. And I like to serve it with something brisk and fresh, like a shower of freshly grated horseradish and slivered mint leaves. This is great with a simple salad and crusty bread or roasted vegetables.
Note: I like to choose the bigger slices cut from higher on the shin—they give you a better ratio of meat to fat, even if the smaller cuts make cuter individual portions.
Combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the garlic, salt, pepper, coriander seeds, and lemon peel in a medium bowl. Whisk well, then massage well into the meat and let sit refrigerated for at least 3 hours or overnight. Remove from the fridge 1 hour before cooking.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a large Dutch oven, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Pull out the lemon slivers and set aside. Cook each piece of beef until nicely browned on one side of each slice, then flip and brown the other sides.
Remove the meat from the pan. Pour in the wine and tomato passata and scrape any accumulated browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in the anchovies and let the liquid simmer for 2 minutes. Add the celery and onion and simmer for 2 additional minutes. Add the red chile flakes, rosemary, and the lemon peel from the marinade. Place the meat in the liquid, cover, and place the pan in the oven.
Roast until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender and the sauce has thickened and concentrated, about 3½ hours. Remove the rosemary, then transfer the meat and juices to a serving platter. Garnish the meat with flaky salt, then shower with the mint. Generously grate horseradish over the top and serve.
Work in Progress: The Process Is the Point
There is often a short window of intense beauty before food gets properly cooked, and braises are a particular pleasure in that regard. I’ll often build my braise in my milk-white enameled Dutch oven. The browned meat is overlaid with colorful aromatics like the lemon peel, rosemary, and chile flakes here—a beautiful and fleeting still life. By the time it’s all cooked, its beauty will be more subdued, but I will remember the lovely colors from before. I look for moments to appreciate throughout the cooking process: It’s not entirely about the finished product.
