Onion & Tomato Braised Beef Shin

Why people make this dish

A University of Hong Kong study once found that when you make soup, only about 20% of the useful substances dissolve into the broth, while roughly 80% of the protein and nutrients stay in the cooked ingredients — so drinking the soup and eating the “soup dregs” is the most nourishing approach. Nourilo made a nice soup with beef shin, green and red carrots, then lifted out the whole shin and braised it with onion and tomato in a little stock — turning it into an appetite-stirring dish. Slow-cooked soup ingredients like pork tripe, trotters, pig tail or oxtail can all be reused this way: one cooking, two dishes, and the ingredients become far more appealing.

Method

1. Slice the cooked beef shin; peel and finely shred the onion; peel and slice the tomatoes.
2. Heat oil and fry the minced garlic until fragrant, then add the onion and fry until golden.
3. Add the tomatoes and beef shin, splash in a little wine, then add seasoning and the stock.
4. Braise for a short while until the sauce thickens, scatter over the coriander and plate up.

Nourilo’s Tips

Even though the cooked ingredients still hold plenty of nutrition, the substances dissolved into the soup are absorbed by the body straight away. So for people with a weak spleen-stomach after illness or surgery, a good bowl of soup is a fine way to keep up their health — and reusing the ingredients into a dish means nothing is wasted.