Yes, and it is fantastic. However, I can't agree that it's the best, IMO that has to go to the previously mentioned beef and vege soup. It has this amazing flavour, which is greater than the sum of it's parts.
The recipe:
- 2 beef shin cuts (bone in) - very cheap meat, with marrow for additional nutritional value.
- 2-3 potatoes
- 1 sweet potato/kumara
- 1 swede
- 2-3 celery sticks, and a few celery leaves
- 6-8 brussel sprouts
- 2 carrots
- 1/2 a leek
Method:
Quarter the brussel sprouts. Slice carrots, celery and leek. Dice the other vegetables. Put it all into the biggest stock-pot you can find, and cover with as much water as you can without risking a boil-over. Cover and bring to the boil.
While waiting for the pot to boil, remove the skin and fat from the beef shins, but leave all the sinew and the bone in the cut. (The sinew has things in it that are great for your own joints and ligaments, and the marrow in the bone is also very good for you. Both of these will render down to nothing during the cooking process.)
Add the meat to the boiling put. Just chuck them in whole. Return to boil, transfer to a smaller element if possible, and reduce to simmer while covered.
Walk away and do something else. The pot should only need stirring once or twice an hour.
Let it do its thing for three hours. At this point, the meat should be falling apart, and you can remove the bones from the pot.
Mash it with a potato masher.
Cook it for another hour or two, still on low. It should be thick and chunky now, with a cloudy broth. Serve with salt and pepper to taste.
Note: make room in your freezer. This recipe makes about 10-20 servings, depending on the amount of liquid.
Another note: Once it's cooled down, it smells bad. It hasn't gone off though, and when re-boiled for half an hour actually tastes even better than fresh.
