Frank Camorra, Richard Cornish

Estofado

Beef Shin Braised with Carrots, Tomatoes, White Wine and Saffron

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Preparation info

  • Media Ración

    6

    Appears in

    top 1000MoVida: Spanish Culinary Adventures

    MoVida

    By Frank Camorra and Richard Cornish

    Published 2007

    • About

    This is a simple and slow-cooked braise, typical of home cooks across the Spanish nation. In winter, at any one time there would be hundreds of thousands of estafodos simmering on stovetops across Spain. In the south they might use pork neck and shoulder and artichokes, while in the north they might use beef shin and runner beans. It’s always slow cooked on the stovetop or in the oven and served in the one dish with plenty of bread to mop up the sauces.

    Ingredients

    • 1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) beef shin
    • 150 ml (5 fl oz) olive oil
    • 2 brown onions, diced
    • 3 garlic cloves, chopped
    • 4 bay leaves
    • 1 red capsicum (pepper), seeded, membrane removed and chopped
    • 1 green capsicum (pepper), seeded, membrane removed and chopped
    • 6 tomatoes peeled, seeded and diced
    • 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) white wine
    • 3 nicola potatoes, click cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes
    • 4 carrots, chopped into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces
    • 2 pinches of saffron threads
    • 2 tablespoons Spanish sweet paprika

    Method

    Trim the beef shin of any obvious tendon. Cut into 4–5 cm (1½–2 inch) chunks. Heat 100 ml (3½ fl oz) of the olive oil in a large heavy-based saucepan over medium–high heat. Brown the meat, in batches, for 2–3 minutes each side, seasoning while cooking. Remove and set aside.

    Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining oil to the pan. Cook the onion, garlic and bay leaves for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion has browned.

    Reduce the heat to low–medium and add the capsicum. Cook gently for 15–20 minutes. Add the tomato and cook for another 20 minutes until the sauce is well reduced. Increase the heat to high and add the white wine, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any cooked-on bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the meat and enough cold water to cover the meat. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer gently for 30 minutes then add the potato and carrot. Skim the surface to remove any foamy residue and excess oil.

    Put the saffron in a cup and pour a few tablespoons of the hot broth over the threads. Leave to infuse for 1 minute then add the saffron mixture to the pan. Add the paprika, stir and season to taste. Cook for 1–1½ hours, or until the beef is very tender (but not falling apart) and the sauce has thickened. Bring the pan to the table and allow people to serve themselves. Serve with fresh bread.