For this recipe, you will need:
– 600g of deboned short rib of beef
– A tablespoon of vegetable oil
– 100ml of red wine
– 400ml of beef stock
– A tablespoon of tomato purée
– Salt and freshly ground black pepper
– A large carrot
– A bulb of fennel
– An onion
– Three tablespoons of olive oil
– A teaspoon of thyme leaves
– 30g of butter
– 30g of plain flour
– 300ml of braising liquid
– 40g of Parmesan, grated
– A pack of large, fresh lasagne sheets (around 40cm x 20cm)
Begin by setting the slow cooker to a high heat and cut the beef into four or five pieces. Heat up a frying pan to a high heat, then pour in the vegetable oil. Following this, add the beef and sear for around three to four minutes. After this, be sure to turn the beef continuously until it has browned on all sides. Next, remove the beef from the frying pan and transfer it to the slow cooker.
In the same pan, deglaze it by pouring in the red wine, and reduce the wine by half, continuously scraping the base of the pan with a wooden spoon to collect any leftover bits. This should then be added to the slow cooker, alongside the beef stock and tomato purée. Combine these together before seasoning with salt and pepper. Place the lid on the slow cooker and leave to cook on high for a period of four hours.
After the beef has been left to soften for about four hours, remove it from the liquid, leave it to cool and preserve all of the resulting braising liquid in a large jug: This liquid will later be used to create the sauce. Once cooled, break the beef into small portions and set aside.
Peel and then dice the carrot into small pieces, do the same for the fennel and the onion. Then, using a clean frying pan, pour in the olive oil and bring it up to heat. To this add the cubed carrot, fennel and onion, and the thyme leaves. Cook this mixture at a low heat for a space of four to five minutes, or until the ingredients are starting to soften. Season with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat.
Begin the preparation of the sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan, then adding in the flour. Mix the ingredients using a wooden spoon and allow them to cook over low heat for a duration of two to three minutes. Then pour in 300ml of the pre-stored braising liquid and cook on medium heat for about five minutes. While doing so, remember to stir periodically until the sauce thickens and bubbles start to form. Lower the heat, then add in the grated Parmesan, stir it well. Adjust the seasoning to your preference before taking it off the heat.
Next, lay a fresh, soft lasagne sheet onto a chopping board. Arrange some beef pieces across the top part of the sheet, ensuring there’s about an inch gap between the meat and the edge of the sheet. Fold the pasta sheet over itself to create a cylindrical roll with the beef tucked inside, then cut the roll into rolls of about an inch in thickness. Repeat this step until you acquire enough rolls to fill your terracotta dishes.
Arrange these rolls in a single layer within your terracotta dish, with the cut-side facing up. Spoon adequate sauce onto the rolls, then sprinkle a spoonful of partly-cooked diced veg on top. Load the terracotta dish onto a pre-heated baking tray and bake it at 185 degrees Celsius for half an hour until it turns a caramelised colour.