members recipes

Ingredients
[b]Brine[/b]



1.5 kg oxtail

1.5 kg beef shin

2 * 4.32 kg water (equiv 2 * 3l)

2 * 50g sea/rock salt



[b]Marinade[/b]



Zest of 1 orange blanched in sugar water

3 pink grapefruit segments

Handful cherries (about 10)

1 bottle red wine

½ bottle port

cloves

1 star anise

1 caramelised brown onion

rosemary

thyme

saffron

3 garlic cloves

1 leek (white part)

5 carrots

1 vanilla pod



[b]Beef Stock[/b]



1kg beef bones

2 tbsp• beef dripping

5 carrots

10 cherry tomatoes

1 cherry tomato vine

3 garlic cloves

1 brown onion (½ charred)

Leek (green part from chicken stock leek)

2 celery stalks

1 tbsp• Olive Oil

2 star anise

Small bowlful oxtail (end pieces) and shin beef



[b]Veal Stock[/b]



1 kg veal bones

1 calf hoof (or similar source of geletin)

1 tomato vine

5 cherry tomatoes

3 celery stalks

1 brown onion

250ml port



[b]Chicken Stock[/b]



2 skinless chicken breasts

5 large carrots

1 large leek (white part)

5 cherry tomatoes (halved)

1 tomato vine

1 brown onion (finely sliced)

10 juniper berries

1 large cleary sage leaf

3 celery stalks

Handful purple sage

Handful rosemary

Handful thyme

½ tsp• fennel seeds

½ tsp• coriander seeds

5 cloves



[b]Beef stock based stew[/b]



750g Oxtail

750g Beef shin

Marinade

Beef stock

1 Brown onion

5 Carrot

3 cloves Garlic

Salt

6 Cherry tomato

1 large Plum tomato

5 Mushroom stalks

1/2 tsp sherry vinegar



[b]Veal Stock based stew[/b]



750g Oxtail

750g Beef shin

Marinade

Veal stock

Chicken stock

1Brown onion

5 medium Carrots

3 Garlic cloves

Salt

6 Cherry tomato

1 large Plum tomato

5 Mushroom stalks

1/2 tsp sherry vinegar

Method
This is a several day process, that, if done properly, will result in the most tender, flavoursome stew imaginable. None of the ingredients are chosen purely by chance, but by several weeks of research into food and cooking, including the anatomical nature of meat, which foods contain congruent flavour compounds, and how those compounds react in certain situations.

It is imperative to do this recipe justice and get the best you can afford (and you have to be able to afford a lot).

I made two of these: one with a beef stock, one with a veal stock. The beef stock was made to satisfy the moral requests of certain diners.

[u]Day 1 [/u]

Place the oxtail in a saline solution and leave in the fridge for 24 hours
Place the beef shin in a separate saline solution and leave in the fridge for 24 hours

Make the stocks

[b]Beef Stock[/b]

Heat the dripping in a roasting tray at 200C/400F/GM6
Place the bones in the tray in a single layer and place in the oven for 2 hours, turning after an hour
Peel the onion and cut it in half
Cut an onion half into thick slices
Place the slices into a dry pan on medium low heat
Fry the onion, stirring occasionally, until caramelised and slightly charred
Remove the bones from the tray and drain in a colander
Pour 250ml cold water into the tray and scrape up the sediment
Place the bones, onion, star anise, meat and fond (the water and sediment) into a large stockpot
Pour in enough cold water to cover the bones and skim off any fat
Bring to a gentle simmer
Simmer for 6 hours, skimming constantly
After six hours, cut the veg into uniform mirepoix (rough cut)
Place the veg in a roasting tray of hot beef dripping
Cover the tray with foil
Place in the oven for an hour at 200C
Add the veg to the stockpot
Simmer for a further hour, skimming frequently
Ladle the stock through a fine sieve, then through a muslin lined chinois
Place the bowl of stock in a bowl of ice water and stir infrequently until cooled
Cover in clingfilm and refrigerate

[b]Veal Stock[/b]

Heat 3 tbsp groundnut oil in a roasting tray at 200C
Add the veal bones to the tray in a single layer
Roast for 1/5 hours, turning after 45 minutes
Drain the bones in a colander
Pour the port into the tray and scrape up the sediment
Place the bones, fond and geletin into a large stockpot
Cover with cold water, skim and bring to a simmer
Simmer for 6 hours, skimming frequently
Cut the veg into mirepoix and add to the pot, along with the vine
Simmer for a further hour
Ladle the stock through a fine sieve, then through a muslin lined chinois
Cool the stock in ice water, stirring infrequently
Cover and refrigerate

[b]Chicken Stock[/b]

Cut the breasts into 1cm cubes
Place in a stockpot and cover with cold water
Bring the water to a simmer and skim off any floating sediment
Add the veg, herbs and spices and simmer gently for 45 minutes
Strain, as with the beef and veal stocks
Cool, cover and refrigerate

Day 2 in the next entry. This involves marinating the beef. Preparing the marinade requires a bit of work, but not quite as much as day one (perhaps).