Braised Shin of Beef with Red Wine and Turnips

Yesterday was one of those miserable, wet Mondays that put the mockers on the entire week ahead. I think the gloominess of the day, and the fact that Summer rains had given way to Autumn rains was quite depressing. This put me in the mood to cook something warming and tasty, a dish that would fill the house with aromas of slow cooking meat, vegetables and the contents of a bottle of wine. Having came home yesterday wet and bedraggled, I instantly set to work on this delicious stew which took the best part of 5 hours to cook and required minimum work. I used shin of beef which needs long slow cooking to turn the tough meat into a soft, gelatinous mouthfulls. I served this with mustard mash which added a nice cut through to all of those beefy flavours.
Ingredients:
500g Shin of Beef
I bottle of decent red wine
2 large onions
4 Organic carrots
3 Sticks of celery (including leaves)
1 tin of Organic chopped plum tomatoes
Splosh of Tamari Soy
8/10 fat cloves of garlic
Bay leaves/thyme
4/5 turnips

First brown the meat in batches in a hot pan with a little oil until it is nicely caramalised. Once all the meat is done, set aside, and to the remaining sizzling oil add the sliced onions. Turn until the onions are soft and translucent. Finely chop the celery and add that to the mixture. Add the chopped carrots (cut in diagonal shards) and garlic cloves and cook for a further 5 or 6 minutes to release their flavours. Add the browned meat, stir, and then add a bottle of wine. Bring to a boil and add the bay and thyme, and lightly season (you can check the seasoning later). Place the lid on the casserole and cook on a low oven 160/180C for 2 hours. After that time remove the bay and thyme, then add the the tin of tomatoes and the soy sauce, and a scant teaspoon of demarera sugar. Replace the lid and cook for a further hour to an hour and a half. Test the meat to make sure it begins to fall apart. Remove the lid and add the peeled turnips. Place back in the oven and cook for thirty minutes to reduce the sauce and cook the turnips.
Serve from the pot with mustard mash and a scattering of chopped parsley.