Braised shin in red wine with buttered porcini mushrooms

Method

1. 01

   Preheat the oven to 180°C. Heat a little of the olive oil in a large ovenproof saucepan or casserole over medium-high heat. Season the shins on both sides with salt and pepper, then brown the meat on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

2. 02

   Add a little more olive oil to the same pot and sauté the onions until softened. Add the celery, carrot and garlic and cook for 3 minutes.

3. 03

   Deglaze the pan with the red wine and allow to reduce by a third. Add the rosemary, oregano, bay leaves, tomatoes, stock and sugar. Return the meat to the pot, cover with an ovenproof lid and cook in the preheated oven for 3 hours, until tender.

4. 04

   Towards the end of the braising time, soak the dried porcini mushrooms in 250 ml warm water for 25 minutes. Heat the 30 g butter in a pan over high heat and cook the fresh exotic mushrooms for 10 minutes.

5. 05

   Drain the soaked porcini and reserve 125 ml of the soaking liquid. Strain this liquid through a fine sieve lined with a clean paper coffee filter to remove grit. Add the soaked porcini to the pan-fried mushrooms and heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6. 06

   Add the reserved soaking liquid and all of the mushrooms to the meat dish. Adjust the seasoning and keep warm while finishing the polenta.

7. 07

   For the creamy polenta (added accompaniment): start about 40 minutes before serving. Bring the 750 ml water and 500 ml milk to a gentle simmer in a heavy-based saucepan with a pinch of salt. Gradually pour in the polenta in a thin stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps.

8. 08

   Turn the heat low and cook the polenta gently for 30–40 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until smooth and tender; follow the pack’s cooking time if it differs. Add a splash of hot water whenever it becomes too thick. Be careful of hot splashes.

9. 09

   Take the polenta off the heat and stir in the 40 g butter and 60 g Parmesan. Taste and season. It should be soft and spoonable; loosen with a little hot water or milk if needed. Spoon onto a serving platter or warm plates, top with the braised shin, buttered mushrooms and generous spoonfuls of sauce, and serve immediately.