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This has got to be my favourite stew! The combination of aromatic spices are mouthwatering and the beef is cooked until melt-in-the-mouth tender.

600g (2lb) beef shin, cut into cubes

Marinade
1.5 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
1 tsp ground pepper
2 lemongrass stalks, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dark brown sugar (can be substituted for 1/2 tbsp of sweetener)

1 tsp sesame oil
8 spring onions or 4 large ones, sliced (green parts included)
4 carrots, peeled and chopped into large pieces
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 kaffir lime leaves
1 tin chopped tomatoes
400ml cups hot beef stock
450g butternut squash, peeled and cubed

Preheat the oven to 160°C

Combine the marinade ingredients and mix well, add the beef, stir to cover well. Alternatively put all the ingredients in a bag massage it into the beef. Leave for at least an hour to marinade.

Heat the sesame oil in a large pan and brown off your beef (this will result in a gooey, sticky mess in the bottom of the pan, don’t worry about that, it’s where all the flavour is, just go with it). Remove the beef and set aside.

Add the spring onions to the pan, stir and sauté for about a minute then add the carrots, tomato paste, cinnamon stick and star anise. Stir again to coat then add the hot beef stock to deglaze the pan. Add the tomatoes, kaffir lime leaves and then the beef. Stir to coat everything, put the lid on and cook for 1 hour.

Remove from the oven, stir well and add the butternut squash, return to the oven for another hour.

Serve with vegetables and crusty bread to soak up all the ‘gravy’.