Ingredients
6 beef shins (10 to 12 ounces each)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
3 sprigs fresh parsley
3 sprigs fresh thyme
7 whole allspice
10 whole black peppercorns
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, coarsely chopped and rinsed well
3 celery stalks, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 can (14.9 ounces) stout, such as Guinness
1 1/2 cups homemade or low-sodium store-bought beef stock
1 strip (2 inches long) orange zest
1 1/2 pounds small boiling potatoes, peeled, if desired
1 pound Thumbelina carrots, scrubbed (or other carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces)
Coarsely chopped fresh curly-leaf parsley, for garnish
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously season beef with salt and pepper. Dredge beef in flour; shake off excess.
Wrap parsley, thyme, allspice, and peppercorns in cheesecloth, and tie with kitchen twine to form a bouquet garni.
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven or large ovenproof saucepan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown beef, 3 to 4 minutes per side, adding more oil (up to 2 tablespoons) as needed. Transfer beef to a bowl.
Add 1 tablespoon oil to fat in pot. Stir in leeks, celery, and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Add stout; cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot.
Return beef to pot. Add stock, bouquet garni, zest, and enough water to cover. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover pot; transfer to oven. Braise beef 2 hours.
Add potatoes and carrots. Cover pot; braise 1 hour more. Discard the bouquet garni. Garnish stew with parsley.
