Whether made with shin or plain ol' stewing cuts when shins are unavailable, both are equally deliciously out of this world. Serve it with roast potatoes, mash, rice, or polenta. And come home to this heavenly winter-warming stew. Served with the veggies of your choice.
Servings: 2 - 3
In the above picture, I have served mine on a bed of Stywe Pap Rice (recipe below) with steamed carrots and green beans.
CHEF TIP: How to get your carrots to look like mine? Just peel them and steam them whole. When tender, they will slice like butter.
NOTES:
- Your choice of extra dry wine is optional, but keep it light, and don't overdo it.
- My gravy tastes better without adding the carrot. And I prefer serving it with steamed carrots, green beans, or spinach on the side. So do whatever pleases you.
- Adding a light touch of herbs, such as bay leaf and thyme, is optional. However, I feel it is not necessary. And prefer mine plain as slow-braised-veal is so concentrated with flavor.
- You may use any fat or oil of your choice.
- The secret is to leave the skins on your onions. It will add to the sweetness and browning of your gravy, improving its flavor by leaps and bounds.
- You may add extra marrow bones if you wish.
- You may use stewing cuts and add some marrow bones if veal shanks are unavailable. And you may use just stewing meat if marrow bones are unavailable, and it will be equally delicious.
- Mushrooms are optional and may be steamed on top of your carrots until tender, then removed and added to your cooked meat. On top of your carrots, you may then steam your green beans or spinach. And when done, you will find that your carrots will slice like butter.
- You may finely chop some fresh parsley with your reserved celery leaves to sprinkle over the top of each serving.
- Gremolata is optional. It is a blend of finely chopped parsley, lemon zest, and freshly grated garlic sprinkled over each serving.
- Your electric wok makes an excellent slow cooker with its self-regulating temperature thermostat for this dish.
INGREDIENTS:
60 ml Coconut Oil or whatever you prefer
1 kg meaty Veal Shank slices/Shin/Stewing cuts - I used 966 g of Stewing Veal with extra marrow bones added
15 ml level measure of pink salt or whatever you wish
2.5 ml cayenne pepper
2.5 ml black peppercorns, whole, ground
4 Onions, medium, left whole, unpeeled
1 small carrot, peeled (optional)
1 stalk celery, leaves reserved
1 small Italian Roma or jam tomato
1 garlic clove, peeled, left whole
METHOD:
To an electric wok or slow cooker, dissolve your coconut oil, and add your meat with 125 - 160 ml of your favorite extra dry wine or water. Place your whole unskinned onions on top. Close your lid, and simmer gently over a low temperature.
When your meat falls from the bone, place your whole peeled carrot on top - gently simmer, covered until your carrot is tender.
Now add 1 whole Roma tomato, unpeeled, and 1 whole garlic clove, peeled.
Gently lift out your meat, placing it into another slow cooker or electric wok.
Slip your onions from their skins, placing them in with your meat. Cover and keep warm at a low temperature.
To your gravy left in your pan or wok, add 125 ml - 250 ml of water together with your tomato, carrot, and garlic. Simmer until your tomato is tender.
When all is tender, with your immersion blender, puree all together until you have a smooth sauce.
Crank up the heat, reduce your gravy until it is lovely and thick, and pour it over your meat in your slow cooker.
STYWE PAP RICE MEALIE MEAL
"Stywe Pap" in the South African Afrikaans language, means "Stiff Porridge." It is usually made with mealie-meal - coarsely ground white corn. Today it is GMO, which gives me migraines, so here is my version for those who can no longer eat GMOs
INGREDIENTS:
500 g/ml water
5 ml salt
270 g (375 ml) rice, ground in your coffee grinder
METHOD
Bring water to a boil. Add salt. Set the temperature to very low and stir in your ground rice until all the water is absorbed. Close your lid tightly and gently steam it for 8 minutes or until fluffy and cooked.
To serve, finely chop your reserved celery leaves to garnish. Serve and enjoy!