Beef shin and bacon cottage pie

Instructions

1. The second part of cooking the ragu can be done in the oven or on the stove top (see below). If using oven, preheat to 160°C while doing the first part of cooking.
2. To begin, cover the base of your pan with little oil and let it heat up. Add bacon and once it is crispy dd the celery, carrot and onion and allow to soften.
3. Add garlic and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and then the wine and stir. Finally add the beef stock, bay leaves and thyme. Leave on heat while cooking beef.
4. Dust the beef with the plain flour and brown on all sides in a large pan, working in batches. Add the beef into the ragu (vegetable base) pot as each batch is browned.
5. Add 500 ml of water and simmer over a very low heat for 3 hours OR put it into the oven and cook until the beef is tender, approximately 2-3 hours.
6. For the mash: Preheat the oven to 200°C.
7. Make a small cut around the equator of each of the potatoes then place into the oven and bake for 1 hour until completely tender.
8. Add the butter and milk to a large pot and heat until the butter melts.
9. Remove the skins from the potatoes and pass the flesh through a sieve or potato ricer directly into the milk/butter mixture.
10. Fold in the potatoes and stir until the mash is creamy. Season with salt, pepper and some chopped chives. Remove from the heat and stir through the egg yolk.
11. To assemble, remove the bones and sinews from the beef ragu. Place the ragu in the bottom of a pie dish then top with the mash and finally sprinkle over the grated parmesan and a little more chive.
12. Cook in the oven for about 10 minutes until golden and bubbling.