TONY STAPLES: Create a dinner full of flavour with an excellent yet overlooked cut of meat

New potatoes cut like this will absorb flavours better

A little time and effort can turn an economical cut of meat and the humble potato into a dinner masterpiece. Tony Staples explains how.

If you’re feeding friends at the weekend or planning a big get together for Easter, don’t be stuck in the kitchen.

The beauty of this tasty dish of braised shin of beef, with new potatoes, is all the hard work can be done the day before.

Shin of beef is a much overlooked, but cheaper cut of meat which is full of flavour. It needs long, slow cooking, with plenty of herbs and stock.

Braised shin of beef with herb roasted new potatoes

For this dish, the meat is then shredded and combined with a rich, sticky reduction of Port and Madeira.

The potatoes are also given star treatment. They are peeled and then sliced several times, almost through with a sharp knife, so they have the best chance of absorbing the flavours of the stock, butter and herbs they are roasted in.

Yes, they are a little fiddly to prepare, but it just takes patience, a sharp knife and a steady hand.

And when you serve this dish up to your guests the next day in less than 20 minutes, all that hard work will be worth every mouthful.

To book a table at The Grill call 01293 530000.

Braised Shin of Beef with Herb Roasted New Potatoes (serves 6)