This chunky cut of meat requires low and slow cooking, making it the perfect dish to prepare the day before. Swap it for thick-cut beef shin for an everyday cut.

Chilli and plum hammer roast 

Serves 8-9.

2 (about 1.6kg each) beef shin hammer roasts
Salt and milled pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 stalks celery, finely sliced
1 spring onion, chopped
1 punnet (20g) coriander, stalks and leaves separated
6 cloves garlic, chopped
3cm knob ginger, peeled and sliced
6 whole dried red chillies
1 stick cinnamon
2 star anise
1 cup Chinese rice wine (mirin) or dry sherry
½ cup apple cider vinegar
3 limes, juiced
¼ cup soy sauce
1 cup beef stock
¼ cup brown sugar
6-8 plums, halved 

For serving
Chilli, sliced
Coriander leaves
Spring onion, sliced 

Method

1. Bring meat to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.
2. Season meat and brown in oil in an ovenproof pot over high heat. Remove and set aside.
3. Reduce heat and sauté celery and white parts of spring onion for 5 minutes.
4. Add coriander stalks (chopped), garlic, ginger, chillies and spices and fry for another 3 minutes.
5. Deglaze pot by adding rice wine, then remaining liquid ingredients and brown sugar.
6. Return meat to pot (ensuring it’s submerged in liquid) and add plums.
7. Cover and roast at 170°C for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 150°C and cook for 3 hours.
8. Switch off oven and leave roast in for an hour or two, or overnight.
9. Reheat pot on the stove, remove meat and reduce sauce, adding some butter to make a glossy gravy.
10. Serve meat and plums on a platter with gravy, garnished with chilli, coriander and spring onion greens.

Flavour check-list 

Salty: stock, soy sauce
Fat: beef shin
Sweet: cinnamon, star anise, rice wine vinegar
Acidity: apple cider vinegar, plums, lime
Heat: chillies 

Recipe & styling: Liezl Vermeulen
Photography: Donna Lewis

Also read: Roast potatoes on cumin-garlic yoghurt with coriander chutney 

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