Bokkie's Beef Shin Stew

My standby stew recipe! Customize it to your liking, and add any veggies you like. The secret is low and slow cooking for about 2 hours, until the meat falls off the bone (you can keep the shin whole if preferred). 

INGREDIENTS:

500 g beef shin, bone in, cut into smaller pieces / beef goulash 

2 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 small pack butternut, cut into cubes / pumpkin cubes

half a punnet of button mushrooms, sliced 

half a pack of sliced green beans / baby marrows

sliced celery

1 - 2 bay leaves

1 large potato, peeled and quartered

2 big garlic cloves, crushed, OR garlic flakes or crushed dried garlic - to taste

flour for dusting

knob of butter for cooking

1 cup beef stock / warm water

1 can whole peeled/crushed tomatoes OR 4 fresh tomatoes, quartered

1 sachet tomato paste

handful of fresh (lemon) thyme / sage / rosemary 

OR 1/2 tsp thyme & 1/2 tsp sage and 1/4 tsp rosemary - dried

pinch of nutmeg

1/4 - 1/2 cup of red wine (optional)

ground black pepper, to taste 

salt, to taste 

Worcestershire sauce - a good splash! 

METHOD:

1) Heat a knob of butter in a large saucepan and add onion and fresh herbs. Cook over low heat for a few minutes. 

2) Add the flour dusted beef pieces, seasoned with salt and pepper, and stir well

3) Add the rest of the vegetables and wine and stock and stir well; add the spices and canned tomatoes and tomato paste and stir again

4) Put the lid on and let simmer over low heat until meat is soft; check from time to time that there is enough liquid for your stew and give it a stir 

5) Check for seasoning and serve over rice or couscous and with a nice garden salad and some nice crusty bread to mop up the juices; a bean salad also goes well with this dish

6) Or you can also serve it over mashed potatoes and creamed spinach on the side

Enjoy! 

NOTES:

If the stew is too "watery" to your taste, thicken with a little bit of cornstarch