Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
- 1 whole Thor’s hammer or 2kg of shin of beef
- 500 grams chunky bacon lardons
- 2-3 stalks celery, diced
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
- 1-2 handfuls dried wild mushrooms (rehydrated)
- A few sprigs of fresh thyme
- 500 ml beer (your choice)
- 500 ml water
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Shortcrust pastry for the top (no pastry on the bottom)
Method
Add a dash of oil to a large heavy pan and when it's hot brown the beef all over with plenty of salt and pepper. Alternatively over the brown the meat over a hot fire. Begin by frying the bacon lardons in a large, heavy-based pot until they’re golden and beginning to crisp.
In the same pot, add the sliced onion, diced celery, and garlic. Cook until they soften and become fragrant.
Add the shin of beef to the pot along with the rehydrated mushrooms, fresh thyme, beer, and water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer.
Partially cover the pot and let the meat slowly braise for several hours at 150.c until the meat is tender and flavourful.
Once the beef is nice and tender, remove it from the pot, let it cool for a while, then shred the meat off the bone into nice chunks and shards. Add this back to the pan, stir well and and adjust the seasoning.
Transfer everything to a pie dish, top with the shortcrust pastry, and bake until the pastry is golden and crisp.
