Italian Braised Beef with Gremolata

This is an adaptation of an old Italian favourite, normally made with veal but here with shin of beef, which is much more readily available in this country.

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Method

Start off by trimming the beef and slicing it into quite large cubes, then heat the dripping or oil in the casserole and when it’s really hot, add half the cubes of meat. Toss them around to brown nicely on all side the transfer to a plate, and repeat with the other half of the beef. If it needs it you can add a little more dripping or oil to the casserole, then add the onions and cook until golden and brown at the edges. Now add the garlic and cook for a further minute or so before returning the meat to the casserole.

Next pour in the wine and let it bubble and reduce a little before adding the tomatoes, tomato puree, rosemary and a seasoning of salt and pepper. Bring up to simmering point, then cover the casserole and leave it to simmer very gently for 2 hours. When the time’s up, take off the lid and continue to simmer very gently for a further hour (do keep an eye on it because it mustn’t reduce too much) until the meat is tender. Before serving mix the chopped garlic, parsley and lemon zest together and sprinkle this mixture equally over each serving. We served this, Italian-style, with risotto Milanese – cooked (I have to admit) in the cheats’ fashion.