Italian Beef Stew with Giardiniera

Giardiniera is my latest discovery. I love pickles. I love celery. I love Italian food. I love giardiniera. Serve giardiniera with this rich Italian beef stew to create a cacophany of flavours and textures. I've made enough of this delicious relish to eat it with every meal I make this week. Giardiniera with Lemon Drizzle Fairy Cakes? Why not?

Beef shin is £3.75 per kilo at my local Chinese cash and carry, in north west London. A completely delicious cut of beef, but needs long slow cooking. Don't worry about getting rid of all the fat and sinew - it melts into the sauce to create a fantastic flavour.

This whole dish tastes like a million dollars, but comes in at £2 per serving. Truly 'Wow'.

Serves 4

Italian Beef Stew

INGREDIENTS:

1kg beef shin, cut into 3cm dice
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, cut into 2cm dice
2 sticks of celery, cut into 2cm dice
1 large carrot, cut into 2cm dice
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
250ml red wine
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon each of dried oregano and dried basil
1 x 400g tin of chopped Italian tomatoes
400ml water
Pinches of salt and pepper

Fry the beef and olive oil in a large casserole pan, on a moderate heat, until the beef has browned and any liquid has evaporated. Add the vegetables and herbs and allow to soften. Add the red wine, tomatoes, water and salt and pepper. Turn the heat to very low, and cook until the sauce has thickened (3-4 hours approx). Serve with the giardiniera.

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Giardiniera

INGREDIENTS:

3 sticks of celery, very finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, very finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and very finely chopped
1 teaspoon each of dried chilli flakes and dried oregano
50ml olive oil
25ml cider vinegar
Pinches of salt and pepper

Mix the ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate to let the flavours develop (at least 2 days).