Many of our most flavoursome and interesting cuts of beef end up in the butcher's mincing machine. They are invariably the cheaper cuts, parts of the animal that have done a lot of work or sound less than attractive. They do, it must be said, make excellent mince, but with a bit of imagination and careful cooking, these odd pieces of meat and bone can provide good eating.
The trick is often to cook them slowly, taking advantage of their bones, sinew and fat to keep them moist and juicy. Fillet, sirloin and rump are far from the only cut of the animal suitable for steak. The bones are too good for the dog alone. And a richly flavoured ragout is often more interesting made with cubes of meat rather than the more usual mince. Yes, sometimes the cooking time is longer, but the preparation time is short, leaving us time to get on with other things while our dinner cooks.
The real bonus of these cuts is often the broth or pan juices you end up with. Rich, clear and with real depth, these are the prize awaiting anyone who picks up the shin, cheeks and tails before they're put in the mincer.
Bavette steak, chimichurri
Bavette is another name for a steak cut from the flank. Often marinaded or braised, it can also be grilled or shallow fried as you would a piece of rump. It is less tender than fillet but much less expensive and often overlooked by those in search of a piece of steak to grill. A punchy condiment will help it sing.
Serves 2
flank steak 400g
For the condiment
garlic 4 cloves
parsley a large handful
fresh oregano leaves a small handful
olive oil 50ml
red wine vinegar 100ml
dried chilli flakes ½ tsp
To make the condiment, peel and coarsely crush the garlic. Chop the parsley and the oregano. Warm the oil in a shallow pan, add the garlic and fry over a gentle heat till it is lightly coloured. Remove from the heat then stir in the chopped herbs, the red wine vinegar and the chilli flakes. Set aside.
Fry or grill the steak then serve with the condiment.
Beef broth, broccoli and beanshoots
Shin bones, full of flavour and cheap as chips, can be bought from most good butchers. Roasted with onions or shallots they provide the backbone for a rich, characterful broth. To that, you can add green vegetables, aromatics such as ginger or lemongrass, and even potatoes, pasta or noodles.
Serves 4
beef shin bones 2 pieces, about 20cm long
banana shallot 1
whole carrots 4 small
peppercorns 8
To finish
ginger a small piece
broccoli 100g
beanshoots 100g
coriander leaves a handful
Set the oven at 200C/gas mark 6. Put the shin bones in a roasting tin. Peel the shallot and cut it in half lengthways, then tuck it beside the bones with the whole small carrots. Roast for 45 minutes then remove from the oven and transfer to a large saucepan. Pour over 2 litres of water, add the black peppercorns, then bring to the boil.
Simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour, at a low bubble, scraping off any froth that rises to the surface. (Leaving it will give a cloudy broth.)
Peel the ginger and slice into very fine matchsticks. Briefly steam the broccoli then divide, together with the beanshoots and matchsticks of ginger, between 4 deep bowls. Ladle over the hot broth. A little coriander leaf at the end is a nice touch.
Ox cheeks with mushrooms and galangal
I don't trim the cheeks as thoroughly as some, finding that the sinews and connective tissue break down during the long, slow cooking, basting the meat as it cooks and keeping it moist. If you cannot find galangal, use fresh ginger.
Serves 4
small shallots 200g
olive oil 2 tbsp
ox cheeks (with a seam of melting fat running through the cheeks) 2 (will feed 4)
galangal or fresh ginger 50g
beef stock 1 litre
enoki mushrooms 100g
Set the oven at 160C/gas mark 3. Peel the shallots. If the skins are stubborn, then pour a kettle of boiling water over them and leave for 15 minutes before peeling.
Warm the oil in a deep pan, add the shallots and let them brown lightly, then push to one side and add the ox cheeks, letting them colour on both sides.
Cut the peeled galangal or ginger into fine, matchstick shreds and add to the pan, cook briefly, then pour in the stock. Season, cover with a lid and bake for 2½ hours. Remove from the oven, cut each cheek into thick slices and place in warm, shallow bowls. Add the enoki mushrooms to the broth, simmer for a minute or two, then ladle over the cheeks.
Braised steak, sake and shallots
Serves 2
braising steak 500g
young carrots 200g
large banana shallots 2
sake 200ml
beef stock 200ml
dark soy sauce 2 tsp
pak choi 2
Set the oven at 160C/gas mark 3. Cut the steak into two, then brown on both sides in a little groundnut oil in a heavy pan. Remove from the pan, set aside. Add the carrots, well scrubbed and halved lengthways, to the pan, and add the shallots, peeled and sliced in half. Let the vegetables brown a little then add the sake and stock. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for an hour. Check the flavour, adding soy sauce to taste – start with 2 tsp. Slice the pak choi in half and add to the pan, return to the oven, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until the greens have softened.
Beef skirt ragout
Skirt, a long, flat piece of meat from the belly of the animal, is good for braising or for ragout. A classic ragout is made with meat that has been minced but I also like it cut into very small dice, giving the sauce more body. Slow cooking is the way to go, just a gentle blip as it simmers on a very gentle heat. Keep the heat low, and stir regularly to make sure the sauce doesn't catch.
Serves 4-6
beef skirt 650g
oil 2 tbsp
onion 1
garlic 2 cloves, sliced
anchovies 3
carrots 3
leeks 2
bay leaves 2
tomatoes, large 3, halved
plain flour 3 tbsp
beef stock 750ml
Cut the beef into roughly 1cm dice. Warm the oil in a shallow, heavy-based pan, add the cubed meat, in two or more batches if your pan is small, then brown nicely on all sides. Remove the meat with a draining spoon and set aside.
Peel the onion, roughly chop it then let it soften in the pan over a moderate heat. Add the garlic, then anchovies, finely chopped. Scrub and peel the carrots, chop and add to the onion, then chop and rinse the white and pale green parts of the leeks, stir into the vegetables together with the bay leaves and the tomatoes, then continue cooking till lightly browned and approaching tenderness.
Return the meat to the pan with any juices that may have escaped, then add the flour, stir, cook for a couple of minutes, then pour in the beef stock. Season. Bring up to the boil, lower the heat, cover with a lid, then leave to simmer gently for a couple of hours. Stir from time to time, making certain the sauce isn't catching on the bottom of the pan.
The beef is ready when it is meltingly tender. To serve, boil 300g of tagliatelle or pappardelle, drain and toss with the ragout.
