A recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson. An Asian twist on a traditional casserole.

Preheat the oven to 150°C.

Peel and quarter 2 onions, peel and roughly slice a 5cm piece of ginger, peel 4 garlic cloves, and put all these into a food processor. Blitz until finely chopped,

Heat 3tbs rapeseed oil in a large casserole and fry this mixture gently (along with 2 tsp ground coriander and 2t sp Chinese 5-spice) until soft and beginning to catch in the pan;. This should take about 10 minutes, over a medium heat, and with regular stirring.

Pour in 250ml Chinese wine (or sherry) and let it bubble up. Add 4tbs soy sauce, 4 tbsp brown sugar, 1.5l beef stock, 2 tbsp oyster sauce and 4tbs rice wine vinegar. Bring to a boil, then drop in 2 cinnamon sticks and 2 star anise.

Add 3kg beef shin pieces (bone in) or 1kg beef shin pieces (bone out). Let everything come up to a bubble again. Clamp on a lid and put into the oven for 2 hours.

Take the casserole out of the oven and, using a slotted spatula, remove the beef to an ovenproof dish (setting aside the bones). Add a couple ladles of the liquid, cover with foil and keep warm in the oven.

Meanwhile, scoop out the marrow and add to the cooking pot and vigorously boil down on the hob, without a lid, until it has reduced to a thick sauce. 

Optional: for an extra fine sauce, strain through a muslin.

Serve slices of the meat with the reduced sauce poured over the top along with vegetables and/or new potatoes

If making ahead:

Place the cooked meat (bones removed) in a fridge container, adding a ladle or two of the liquid and put in the refrigerator overnight once cool. Continue to reduce the sauce and then also refrigerate overnight once cool.

On the day: reheat the meat with the liquid from the Tupperware in an ovenproof dish for 30 minutes. Spoon the reheated, reduced sauce over the meat before serving.