BEEF FLANK AND VEGETABLE BOMBETTA [STUFFED MEAT ROLL]

A flavourful beef shin and marrow pie made with beef shin, vegetables and a dark beer.  Cooked until
tender and then covered with pastry and baked in the oven for a show stopping affordable dinner. 


Click here for the downloadable recipe.



INGREDIENTS

Beef

2 medium / 1 large Beef shanks, French trimmed

500 g Beef shin, bone in

1 teaspoon Salt

½ teaspoon Freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons Flour

2 tablespoons Olive oil

1 medium Onion, chopped

2 cloves Garlic, crushed

2 stalks Celery, trimmed and finely chopped

1 medium Carrot, peeled and finely chopped

2 Bay leaves

4 sprigs Fresh thyme

1 tablespoon Tomato paste

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 ½ cups Dark beer (Stout or dark lager)

1 cup Beef stock

1 tablespoon Sugar

2 tablespoons Fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons Capers /caper berries

Pastry

500g Margerine

1 cup Boiling water

4 cups Cake flour 

¼ teaspoon Salt

1 Egg, beaten

METHOD

Preparing the pastry:

  1. Grate the margarine and pour 1 cup of boiling water over the margarine and stir until it is melted.

  2. Add the sifted flour and salt and mix well. The mixture will be soft and flabby.

  3. Place it in the refrigerator and use it when it has set and become more solid. The pastry can be made ahead of time.

Preparing the beef shanks:

  1. Season the beef shanks and shin with salt and pepper and dredge with flour. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large cast iron or heavy-based pot. Cook the meat on each side until seared and browned, if more than one shank cook in batches. Remove from the pot and set aside.

  2. Add the remaining oil to the pot. Add the onion, garlic and celery and cook for 5 minutes until soft. Place the beef back into the pot and add the bay leaves, thyme, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, beer, stock and sugar and bring to the boil.

  3. Reduce the heat and cook for 3 hours over low heat until the meat is tender. Remove the shank from pot and continue cooking the sauce for 8-10 minutes until reduced by a third and thickened.

  4. Remove the meat from the bones and shred using two forks. Discard any fat and sinews. Reserve the shank bones for presentation in the pies. Remove the marrow from the shanks and bones and dice it. Mix it with the chopped parsley and capers and add to the shredded meat. Fold the meat and marrow through the sauce.

  5. Place the shank bone in the center of a 20 cm pie dish and spoon the beef mixture around the bone. Allow it to cool completely.

Preparing the pot pie:

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Roll out the pastry to 5mm thick and ensure that it is large enough to cover the pies. Cut a cross in the middle to make a hole for the bone, then lay the pastry over the top of the pie, allowing the bone to poke through the central hole.

  2. Secure the edges by crimping the pastry to the pie dish and removing the excess pastry. Brush with the beaten egg. Bake the pie for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with fluffy rice and steamed green vegetables.