slow-cooked beef, plantain, parsnip and potato stew

Serves 4-5 

Ingredients:

• 1kg beef shin, cut into large chunks

For seasoning the beef:

• 1 tbsp bouillon powder
• 1 tsp white pepper
• ½ tsp black pepper

For the stew:

• 100ml vegetable or olive oil
• 1 large onion peeled and sliced or chopped
• 700 ml water
• ½ tsp whole cloves
• 3 star aniseeds
• ½ tsp of coarse black pepper
• ½ tsp white pepper
• ½-1 tsp rock salt
• Cloves of 1 bulb garlic, peeled
• 2 ripe plantains 
• 2 large baking potatoes
• 3 parsnips
• ½ tsp instant coffee 

1. Season the beef with the beef seasoning ingredients.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole pot/Dutch oven, until hot enough for a small piece of onion to sizzle immediately.
3. Sear the beef for a few minutes until brown on all sides, remove and set aside.
4. Add the onions to the leftover oil in the pot, stir and cook until softened.
5. Add back the beef, and pour in the water.
6. Stir in the cloves, aniseeds, black pepper, white pepper, salt and garlic. Cover and leave to cook for 3 hours on low heat.
7. During this time, peel and cut the potatoes (into quarters) and the parsnips (into thirds). Set aside, covered to avoid oxidisation.
8. Cut the plantain into thirds, leaving the skin on. Rinse the plantain pieces. Then cut skin-deep slits along the plantain thirds, opening up the skin a little, so each piece has a skin ‘jacket’. 
9. Put the pieces in a medium-sized pot with a lid, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil the plantain for about 10-15 minutes until fully cooked through. Drain and keep aside, still with the skins on.
10. Once the beef has been going for 3 hours, stir in the potato and parsnips. Cover the pot and leave to cook for another approximately 35-40 minutes on low heat until the beef is fall-apart tender and the potatoes and parsnips and cooked through with slightly softened edges, but still firm.
11. Peel the cooked plantain pieces and gently add these to the stew. Sprinkle the instant coffee across the stew, and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve and enjoy!

• See reels on toyotastes (IG) for visual aids.
• Go for beef fresh from the butchers if you can, that flavour is wonderful.
• This recipe is structured so that you prep the veg whilst the beef is cooking, for time efficiency.
• Beef shin takes time to break down and tenderise, but my goodness it is so worth it!
• The plantain is best cooked separately, and with skins on, to retain structure, and then mixed into the stew towards the end. It lends a lovely sweetness to the dish.
• Be careful to not overcook the potato and parsnip so that it doesn't fall apart, turning the stew into slush. 
• The aniseed is quite literally the star ingredient, adding depth and spice.
• The coffee is also to add a little depth, and colour.