PREPARATIONS

• Place the beef shanks on a rack over a drip tray or a deep baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast in the oven at 250°C on the grill setting for about 25 minutes, until browned and starting to render fat.
• Meanwhile, cut carrots, onions, and celery into large chunks. Sauté the veggies with crushed coriander seeds and peppercorns in a large pot with a bit of olive oil. Stir in tomato paste and cook for another 1–2 minutes.
• Add water to the pot and toss in bay leaves.
• Remove the beef shanks and bones from the oven and add them to the pot. Cover with the lid and simmer for about 2 hours.
• Once the cooking time is up, strain the broth through a sieve into a measuring cup. Discard the vegetables and bones, and set the meat aside in a bowl. If you want to go the extra mile, strain the broth through a cheesecloth, though it’s not essential for this recipe. You’ll need 600 milliliters of broth and all the meat for this cottage pie.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Peel and halve the potatoes, then place them in a medium pot with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until soft, about 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, gently heat milk and butter in a small pot until the butter melts. Grate Parmesan and slice chives into fine rings—set both aside. Finely dice the onion, peel the garlic, and dice the carrots into small cubes. Weigh the peas and set everything aside.
3. Once the potatoes are soft, drain the water. Add the warm milk-butter mixture and mash the potatoes. Stir in cream cheese and Parmesan, then season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Finally, fold in the chives. Cover and set the pot aside.
4. Heat olive oil in a large pot or ovenproof pan. Sear the ground beef, remove it, and set aside.
5. Add the onions and carrots to the pan and sauté briefly. Press or finely grate the garlic, sauté for a moment, then stir in tomato paste and cook briefly as well.
6. Dust with flour and stir well. Add the ground beef and beef shank meat, then deglaze with the beef broth. Stir in Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, paprika, cinnamon, brown sugar, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the carrots are soft. While it simmers, finely chop the parsley.
7. Once the carrots are soft, stir in the peas and parsley. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Spread the meat mixture evenly into an ovenproof dish. Smooth it out, then spread the mashed potatoes on top, smoothing and optionally decorating the surface.
8. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until the edges are bubbling. Switch to the grill setting and cook for 5–7 minutes until the mashed potato topping turns golden brown. Let the cottage pie rest briefly before serving.