Shin Beef Rogan Josh with Turmeric Rice

Shin of beef rogan josh on turmeric spiced rice

Shin of beef in my opinion - as I may have mentioned once or twice before - is the most under-rated of all cuts of beef. It is often perceived to be tough and unpalatable but when it is cooked properly, long and slow, it is as tender as can be and absolutely packed full of flavour. If, of course, you wish to use a different stewing suitable cut of beef, this dish will work almost as well.

When I make curries of any type, I most often do so from scratch, using the various spices and bases as required. In this instance, I noticed that these curry sauce jars were on special offer in my local supermarket so I decided to give one a try. I was actually very pleasantly surprised with the results.

Shin of beef, onion and rogan josh sauce

Ingredients (Serves 2)

3/4 pound shin of beef
2 tablespoons sunflower or rapeseed oil
1/2 medium white onion, peeled and finely sliced
1/2 a 1 pound jar of rogan josh cooking sauce
1 pint fresh beef stock
6 ounces basmati rice
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Salt
Freshly sliced basil leaves (or herb of choice) to garnish

Starting to brown diced shin of beef

Directions

Dice the shin beef to approximately one inch cubes. Pour the oil in to a large stew pot and gently heat. Add the beef and stir with a wooden spoon to brown/seal over a medium heat. This should take two to three minutes.

Sliced onion is added to browned shin of beef

The onion should then be added to the beef. Cook in the same way for another couple of minutes until the onion is just softened.

Rogan josh sauce is added to browned beef and onion

Pour the rogan josh sauce in to the pot and stir well.

Beef stock is added to beef and rogan josh sauce

Add the beef stock to the pot and stir well. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for two and a half hours until the beef is just tender. Stir every so often and monitor the liquid level. If there is too much liquid with around half an hour of the cooking time remaining, cook from this point onwards uncovered.

Rice is washed prior to being boiled

Around quarter of an hour before the beef rogan josh is ready, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add a teaspoon of ground turmeric and stir well. Wash the rice thoroughly under running cold water through a fine sieve.

Boiling rice in turmeric water

Carefully add the rice to the water and bring to a gentle simmer for ten minutes.

Turmeric rice is thoroughly drained

Drain the rice through a sieve and allow to steam off for a few minutes.

Rogan josh shin of beef is ready to serve

The beef should by now be ultra tender and the sauce lush and thick.

Turmeric rice is formed in to beds

Arrange the rice as beds in two deep serving plates.

Shin of beef rogan josh is spooned on to rice beds

Divide the beef rogan josh between the two plates and garnish with the sliced basil or herb of choice.

A spoon makes rogan josh and rice easier to eat

Beef and Tomato One Pot Stew

This beef and tomato stew is incredibly easy to make and is delicious perhaps particularly on a cold Winter's night but very much at any time of year. The only possible drawback with this one pot stew is that it does require a good couple of hours' cooking time. The good news, however, is that making it one night, cooling it, refrigerating it and reheating it (thoroughly) for dinner the next night gives the flavours additional time to infuse and makes it even more tasty. Try serving it with some warmed chunks of fresh, crusty bread.

The beef I have used in this recipe is shin of beef. That is not simply because shin of beef is one of the most inexpensive cuts of beef you can buy but very much because, when the time is taken to cook it properly, it is also one of the tastiest.

Ingredients for Two People

3/4lb shin of beef
1 14oz can of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
1 pint of fresh beef stock
1/2 medium white onion
1 green bell pepper
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp freshly chopped basil leaves (plus two small sprigs for garnish)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chop the shin of beef in to three-quarters to one inch chunks. Any excess fat can be discarded but do not trim off all the fat. It is the fat which will keep the beef moist and tender during cooking and which also contains a lot of the flavour. Heat the olive oil gently in a large stew pot and add the beef to brown, stirring it frequently with a wooden spoon for three or four minutes until completely and evenly sealed.

Finely slice the half onion and the garlic. Cut the green bell pepper in half and remove and discard the seeds and white inner membrane. Slice to a quarter inch thickness. Do note, however, that only half the pepper is incorporated in the stew and the remainder is reserved to garnish and add a little bit of crunch to the presented dish.

Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic to the beef. Stir well and cook for two to three minutes, while you heat the beef stock in a separate pot. Add the canned tomatoes to the mix, followed by the seasoning (salt and pepper) and beef stock and bring to a simmer.

It will take at least two hours, perhaps two and a half, for the shin of beef to become properly tender. Stir the stew occasionally during this time and watch that it is not becoming too thick and devoid of moisture. If necessary, add a little bit of boiling water as required, to ensure there is always some liquid present and that it does not burn.

When the beef is tender, add the chopped basil, stir through and cook for a further five minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately, garnished with the remaining strips of bell pepper and sprigs of basil. Alternatively, cool and refrigerate for a quick and easy dinner the following evening.