1kg Pasture-Raised Beef Shin

Pasture-Raised Beef Shin

The beef shin is a slow-cook cut, the one that pays off if you give it time. Cut from the lower leg, it's tougher than a steak but full of collagen and marrow, which is exactly what you want for a proper potjie, a rich beef stew, or an ossobuco. From Rhyno's farm outside Kroonstad, pasture-raised Nguni and Mashona cattle, no antibiotics or hormones.

About the beef shin
The shin is the working muscle of the leg, which is why it needs time to break down. Cook it low and slow for a few hours and the collagen melts into the sauce, thickening it naturally and giving the whole dish that deep, silky quality you can't fake. The marrow bone in the middle adds another layer, spread it on toast or stir it back into the sauce at the end.

How to cook it
This is not a steak. Don't rush it. Brown the shin on all sides in a hot pan, then transfer to a heavy pot with onions, carrots, garlic, a tin of tomatoes, and red wine or stock to cover. Simmer on low for 3 to 4 hours, or until the meat falls off the bone. It's also the cut that makes a proper bone broth if you cook it even longer. Serve over pap, mash, or polenta.