THOR’S HAMMER with WHITE WINE & VEGETABLES

Thor’s hammer is the whole shin of beef on the bone (or beef shank). When cooked slowly on a gentle low heat the meat delivers a rich-full bodied flavour with melt in the mouth texture. Not to worry if you don’t own a pot deep enough to accommodate this cut, the recipe has been created to cook lying down.

serves 6-8

2.2kg – 2.8kg grass-fed Thor’s Hammer

sea salt

black pepper

2 tablespoons plain flour

2 bay leaves

6 parsley stalks with leaves

4 thyme sprigs

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or tallow

12 small carrots, peeled (optional)

6 cipollini onions or golden shallots, peeled

200g Mushroom Forestry mushrooms

1 onion, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, thinly sliced

6 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tomatoes, cut into wedges (optional)

375ml (1 1/2 cups) white wine

2 tablespoons tomato paste

250ml (1 cup) beef stock

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Finely grated zest of a lemon 

Pre-heat the oven to 150°C (130°C fan-forced). Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Dust the shin meat in the flour. Tie the bay leaves, parsley and thyme sprigs in a bundle with kitchen string.

Heat the oil or tallow in a large heavy based frying pan, one that is large enough for the shin to fit snugly across-ways (an enamelled cast-iron is good, or a large heavy based roasting dish), over a medium-high heat. Place the shin in the hot pan and fry for about 3 minutes on each side, to brown all over. Transfer the shin to a plate and set aside. Reduce the heat to low-medium then add the carrots, onions and cook for 8-10 minutes, turning often to lightly colour all over.  Remove and set aside on a plate. Add the mushrooms and saute for about 6-8 minutes then transfer to the plate with carrots and onions.

Add the chopped onion, celery and garlic to the pan and cook for about 6-8 minutes to soften. Return the shin to the pan and nestle the reserved vegetables around and tomatoes, if using. Pour in the wine and bring to the boil. Stir the tomato paste into the stock, pour into the pan and bring to a simmer. Add the herb bundle. Place a sheet of baking paper over the meat, this will help any condensation to fall back into the dish while cooking to keep it moist. Cover with a tight-fitting lid. Alternatively, if the lid does not sit firmly, cover and seal the pan with foil. Transfer to the oven and cook for 4 – 5 hours (this will depend on weight of meat) or until the meat is tender. Remove from the oven, add the reserved carrots, cippolini and mushroom, return to the oven for 30 minutes, until the carrots and onions are very tender.

Pull the meat away from the bone using tongs or a pair of large forks. It will fall away into chunks. Remove the bone and gently stir to combine and coat meat in liquid. Check seasoning adding extra salt and pepper if needed. Cover and let the meal stand for 20-30 minutes before serving. It will be even better eating after 24 hours.

If serving the next day, allow to cool and pop into the fridge over-night. The next day remove any solidified fat, then reheat over a low-medium heat to heat through.

Combine the parsley and lemon zest and scatter over the top and serve straight away. The dish is delicious with mashed potato or polenta and a side of green salad.

Seasonal variations: To up the vegetable content, add capsicum and zucchini when in season. Cut a red capsicum and 2 medium zucchini into 5cm pieces and add along with the carrots and small onions, following the cooking instructions.

Recipe by Fiona Hammond, March 2025