The Henry Austin’s braised beef shin with grain salad and yoghurt sauce

1.Preheat oven to 200C. Combine 2 tbsp oil, onion, celery and garlic in a deep casserole or heavy roasting pan large enough to hold the shin and roast, turning once, until vegetables are caramelised (50 minutes to 1 hour). Reduce oven to 140C, remove vegetables from oven and deglaze pan with wine. Add beef, tomatoes, thyme, star anise and stock, cover with a lid or baking paper and foil, and bake until meat is almost falling from the bone (4-4½ hours). Rest in stock for at least 30 minutes.

2.Meanwhile, for grain salad, bring freekeh, 250ml water and a pinch of salt to the boil in a covered small saucepan, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently until tender (30-40 minutes). Bring buckwheat, 250ml water and a pinch of salt to the boil in a separate small saucepan, reduce heat to low and simmer until water has evaporated and buckwheat is tender (14-15 minutes), then cool. Meanwhile, in another small saucepan, bring 250ml water to the boil, add quinoa and a pinch of salt, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring every few minutes, until water has evaporated and quinoa is tender (14-15 minutes). Dry-roast flaxseeds, sunflower seeds and pepitas in a heavy-based frying pan over medium-high heat until fragrant and flaxseeds start to pop (2-3 minutes). Gently combine grains, toasted seeds, raisins, lemon rind and juice, herbs and olive oil, and season to taste.

3.Remove beef from pan, skim off fat, strain liquid, reserving half the vegetables (discard star anise and thyme) and pour 1 litre cooking liquid back into pan (cool and freeze remaining liquid for another use). Simmer over medium-high heat until reduced by two-thirds (15-20 minutes), then add reserved vegetables and season to taste.

4.For yoghurt sauce, blend ingredients and a pinch of salt in a food processor until herbs are coarsely chopped. Transfer to a serving bowl, top with extra mint and serve with beef shin, reduced stock and grain salad.