'Johnston's Fluid Beef:' Braised beef shin and cheek, ox tongue and onion pie

Roberta Hall-McCarron

Roberta Hall-McCarron

12th April 2021
Roberta Hall-McCarron

'Johnston's Fluid Beef:' Braised beef shin and cheek, ox tongue and onion pie

180 min

My dessert on Great British Menu 2021, inspired by two great Scottish inventions: Bovril and the Thermos

Ingredients

Veal jus

  • 5kg veal bones 10 x carrots 1 x onions 1 x celery sticks 200g tomato purée

Chicken mousse

  • 600g chicken breast 600ml double cream 200g egg white

Braised ox tongue

  • 1 x ox tongues 2 x carrots 1 x celery sticks 1 x onion 1/2 x garlic bulb

Beef shin and cheek

  • 2kg beef shin 2kg beef cheek 4 x carrots 1 x onion 2 x celery sticks 2l water 100g thyme 2l reduced veal jus 1 x large swede

Caramelised onions

  • 6 x large white onions

Pastry

  • 500g cold salted butter 1kg plain flour 60g milk 160g water 6 x egg yolks

Ox and chicken mousse farce

  • Braised ox tongue (from above) 0.5l chicken mousse (from above) 100ml veal jus 4 tbsp Pommery mustard

Pie

  • 500g packet sliced unsmoked pancetta Beef shin and cheek (from above) Caramelised onions (from above) Chicken mousse farce (from above) Pastry (from above) 75ml egg yolk 10ml double cream

Method

Veal jus

1. Roast the bones at 180’C for 2 hours mins until golden brown, place in a pot and cover with water
2. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer.
3. De-glaze the roasting tray, add to the pot.
4. Caramelise the carrots, onions, celery and tomato puree
5. Add to the stock, simmer for at least 12 hours.
6. Pass through a chinois and reduce to sauce consistency.

Chicken mousse

1. Trim up the chicken and dice.
2. Blend chicken, egg white and cream together in small batches, until smooth.
3. Season (you can do a taste test by poaching a small amount of the mousse in a small pot of water on the stove).

Ox tongue

1. Cover the tongue with cold water in a pot and bring to the boil
2. Discard the water, clean the pot and tongue.
3. Cover with cold water, add in the carrot, onion, celery and garlic, then gently braise for 5-6 hours until cooked.
4. When cooked, peel the skin off, cool and wrap in cling film.

Beef shin and cheek

1. Trim the beef and sear in a pan.
2. Cut the carrot, onion and celery and sweat down in a pot.
3. Add in the beef shin, cover with water, thyme and veal jus.
4. Braise for approx. 5-6 hours until tender.
5. Pick the meat down when cooked.
6. Dice the swede, sauté, mix through the picked beef shin and cheek.
7. Pick thyme leaves, chop down and mix through the meat.
8. Pass the cooking liquor through a chinois and reduce to sauce consistency.
9. Mix through the picked meat.

Caramelised onions

• Slice thinly and sweat down in a pot for 20 mins. Season with salt. Allow the pot to catch slightly – caramelisation,

Ox farce

1. Chop the tongue into smaller pieces and sauté
2. Mix the tongue, mustard, chicken mousse and beef sauce together – melt the sauce, but make sure it isn’t too hot as it could split the farce.
1. Rub the diced butter into the flour (can also be mixed in a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment).
2. Add in the milk, water and eggs. Mix and bring together
3. Cling film, fridge and let rest for approx. 1 hr 30 mins.

Pie

1. Line a 24cm pie mould with cling film and layer with sliced pancetta.
2. Place the beef shin mix in and spread flat.
3. Place the caramelised onion mix in, spread flat.
4. Place the chicken mousse layer in, spread flat.
5. Cover over with pancetta.
6. Place in freezer to firm up.
7. Roll out the pastry and cut the base into a circle that is 29 cm diameter, egg wash.
8. Place the meat farce on top.
9. Roll out a larger piece, cut into a circle that is 35 cm diameter and carefully cover over the top of the farce, covering all the sides.
10. Crimp the two pastries together.
11. Cut strips of pastry and braid them
12. Egg wash the pastry, place the braid around the edge, egg wash the braid
13. Make a hole in the centre of the pie (approx. size of a wooden spoon handle)
14. Place a tinfoil chimney in the hole.
15. Cut various shapes and place on top of the pie - egg wash them all.
16. Place in the oven at 200 degrees for approx. 10 mins, to set the pastry, then reduce the temp to 185 degrees for approx. 35-40 mins, ensure the pastry is golden brown and the centre of the pie is piping hot.
17. Serve on a wooden board.

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