Coconut and chilli beef shin pie with bitter leaf salad
This comforting slow-cooked beef shin pie is bursting with flavour and crispy butter bean croûtons make a very special salad.
Equipment and preparation: You will need a large flameproof casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid and a 26cm/10½in round pie dish.
Ingredients
For the pie
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 6 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1kg/2lb 4oz beef shin, cut into 4cm/1½in chunks
- 4 shallots, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 3cm/1¼in piece fresh root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 lemongrass stalks, roughly chopped
- 2 red chillies, roughly chopped
- ½ lime, zest removed with a knife and chopped
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 400ml tin coconut milk
- 20g/¾oz soft light brown sugar
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 500g/1lb 2oz puff pastry
- flour, to dust
- 1 free-range egg
- ½ tsp ground turmeric
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the bitter leaves and butter beans
- 2 x 400g tins butter beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 red endives or 1 large radicchio, ends trimmed and leaves separated
- 2 Little Gem lettuces, ends trimmed and leaves separated
- 1 red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 lemons, juice only
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 6 tbsp red wine vinegar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the pie, preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3½. Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a large dry frying pan over a medium heat for 2 minutes until fragrant, then set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a high heat. Working in three batches, brown the beef for about 3 minutes at a time, until you get a dark caramelised crust on each piece, add another tablespoon of oil if needed. Set aside on a plate until later.
Add the shallots, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, red chillies and lime zest to a small food processor, along with the toasted spices and tomato purée. Blend to make a paste, scraping down the edges as you go.
Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a flameproof casserole dish over a medium heat. Tip in your spice paste and cook it down for about 5 minutes until fragrant and starting to stick.
Add the beef to the pan, followed by the coconut milk, sugar, soy sauce, cinnamon stick and star anise. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and 10 twists of black pepper and bring to a gentle simmer. Pop a lid on the pan, then get it in the oven. Cook for 4 hours, then let it cool for at least 30 minutes (I often cook this part the day before and leave it to chill in the fridge overnight.)
When you’re ready to bake, increase the oven temperature to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Roll out your puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to about 2mm/1/16in thick.
In a small bowl, beat the egg with turmeric.
Spoon the beef into a 26cm/10½in round pie dish and brush the rim with egg wash. Top with your pastry. Use a sharp knife to trim away any excess, then press down the edges with a fork to seal. Brush with your egg wash, then pop in the fridge for at least 15 minutes, or longer if you have it.
Remove the pie from the fridge, brush it with one more layer of egg wash, then bake for 25 minutes on the middle shelf. Serve piping hot.
To make the bitter leaves and butter beans, preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
Pat the butter beans dry using kitchen paper, then tip them onto a baking tray. Pick the rosemary leaves into the tray, then add your whole garlic cloves, skins and all. Drizzle with 4 tablespoons of olive oil and season with ½ teaspoon of salt, then toss it all around so the beans are coated in oil. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until crispy and golden.
Meanwhile, put the red onion into a small bowl. Squeeze over the lemon juice and ½ teaspoon salt and scrunch it with your hands to start pickling the onion.
Once cooked, squeeze your roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and into another small bowl. Add the Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar and olive oil to the bowl, then season your dressing to taste with salt and 10 twists of black pepper. Whisk to combine.
Add the leaves to a salad bowl and pour over the roasted garlic dressing. Briefly massage the dressing into the leaves so that each leaf is coated, then add the pickled onions and roasted butter beans. Toss the salad so all the ingredients are combined, then serve with the pie.
