SLOW BRAISED THOR’S HAMMER BEEF IN RED WINE AND BONE MARROW STOCK GRAVY

 Gorgeous slow braised Thor’s Hammer shin of beef with a mirepoix of vegetables and herbs, marrow bone stock and a couple of bottles of burgundy red wine, a sumptuous tender falling of the bone beef dish that is a WoW at the dinner table.  

The back leg of beef is cut and French trimmed to reveal the shin bone full of lovely marrow that will melt into your stock gravy and that is why it resembles Thor’s hammer, this cut is also known as osso bucco, full of deep flavour and worth the 5 hrs slow unattended cooking.

The left overs are great for carnitas stuffed into tacos, burritos, enchiladas, cottage pie, Cornish pasty’s and pies.

Ingredients

(serves 4+)

3kg Thor’s hammer

Generous pinch Himalayan salt

1/2 cup peanut or sunflower oil

1 kg carrots peeled and rough chopped

2 leeks sliced

4 onions quartered

1 bulb garlic peeled and crushed

4 stalks celery roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

1 bunch fresh thyme

10 black pepper corns

2 jelly beef stock in 2 ltr water

2 bottles good burgundy red wine

Stock Gravy

50g butter

1 tbsp plain flour

Accompaniments 

Make ahead buttery mashed potatoes

(ready to re-heat in the oven 30-40 mins)

Cabbage

Braised carrots from the slow cooking

Method

Pre heat your oven to 200 C / 392 F

First bring Thor’s hammer out of the fridge 2 hrs before cooking, generously rub with oil and season with salt, heat a large pan hot and sear and caramelise each side and the end of the beef, take off the heat, add the rest of the ingredients.

Lower the oven to 180 C / 356 F

Cover with a lid or parchment paper and then foil and place in the oven to cook, after 3 hours take out and turn the beef over, check the tenderness (check the tenderness every 30-60 minutes from now on) until the bone just slips out of the meat approximately a further 2 hours.

Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 20 minutes to soak up the juices.

Best Stock Gravy

Strain off all the juices keeping to one side and remove the braising herbs and vegetables reserve some of the carrots for serving.

Add the butter to the pan and melt, add the flour and cook off for 2 minutes, slowly whisk in the reserved cooking stock, taste for seasoning and adjust to taste.  Keep on a gentle simmer while you plate up.

Serve with the buttery baked mashed potatoes, the braised carrots, cabbage and a generous pouring of the stock gravy.