
A hearty and comforting twist on a classic, featuring tender beef shin and creamy cannellini beans slow-baked in a rich, treacle-infused sauce. This one-pot wonder is the ultimate soul food for chilly evenings.
Place the dried cannellini beans in a large pot and cover with water until submerged by at least 5cm. Add the bay leaf and leave to soak overnight.
The next day, drain the beans and return them to the pot with fresh water (covering by 3cm). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes until the beans are tender. Drain, but reserve the cooking liquid.
Preheat your oven to 140°C (120°C fan/Gas 2). Heat the vegetable oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish over high heat. Brown the beef shin chunks in batches for about 5 minutes until evenly colored, then transfer to a plate.
In the same dish, cook the smoked lardons and onion wedges over medium-high heat for 5–7 minutes until the onions turn golden and the lardons begin to crisp.
Stir the beef back into the dish. Add the cooked beans along with their reserved cooking liquid. Mix in the sliced garlic, treacle, tomato purée, mustard powder, and ground cloves.
Season with salt and pepper, then add enough extra water so the beans are covered by 2–3cm. Bring to a simmer on the stovetop, cover with a lid, and transfer to the oven for 2 hours and 30 minutes.
Remove the lid, stir well, and return to the oven uncovered for a final 1 hour and 30 minutes. The meat should be fork-tender and the sauce rich and thick. Serve with jacket potatoes or crusty bread and coleslaw.
Beef shin is the best cut for this recipe as the connective tissue breaks down into a silky sauce. If you're short on time, you can use canned beans, but the texture and depth of flavor from dried beans are superior. This dish tastes even better the next day!




