Our hearty Beef Shin and Carrot Stew has some Irish roots—it gets its depth of flavor from stout, and is a perfect dish to serve to warm up a March afternoon when the passing season's chill lingers.
Ingredients
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6 beef shins (10 to 12 ounces each)
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Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
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All-purpose flour, for dredging
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3 sprigs fresh parsley
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3 sprigs fresh thyme
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7 whole allspice
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10 whole black peppercorns
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¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
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4 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, coarsely chopped and rinsed well
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3 celery stalks, cut into ½-inch cubes
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4 garlic cloves, crushed
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1 can (14.9 ounces) stout, such as Guinness
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1 ½ cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought beef stock
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1 strip (2 inches long) orange zest
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1 ½ pounds small boiling potatoes, peeled, if desired
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1 pound Thumbelina carrots, scrubbed (or other carrots, peeled and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces)
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Coarsely chopped fresh curly-leaf parsley, for garnish
Directions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously season beef with salt and pepper. Dredge beef in flour; shake off excess.
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Wrap parsley, thyme, allspice, and peppercorns in cheesecloth, and tie with kitchen twine to form a bouquet garni.
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Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven or large ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown beef, 3 to 4 minutes per side, adding more oil (up to 2 tablespoons) as needed. Transfer beef to a bowl.
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Add 1 tablespoon oil to fat in pot. Stir in leeks, celery, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add stout; cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot.
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Return beef to pot. Add stock, bouquet garni, zest, and enough water to cover. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover pot; transfer to oven. Braise beef 2 hours.
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Add potatoes and carrots. Cover pot; braise 1 hour more. Discard the bouquet garni. Garnish stew with parsley.