Ingredients
- 500g beef shin (osso bucco style)
- 2 onions, diced
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 T olive oil
- 300ml white wine
- 1.2 litres chicken or beef stock
- 1 T peppercorns
- 50g egg yolk
- 50g egg white
- 3g olive oil
- 2g salt
- 200g 00 flour
Method
This recipe uses a pasta roller, but if you don’t have this and aren’t too keen to invest in one, you can follow the same steps and roll this out by hand. Just be sure to take the pasta dough as thin and even as possible before cutting it.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy based non-stick pan or pot and season the beef generously with salt. Carefully place in the pan, and cook over a high heat until they are nicely browned.
Remove the beef shin from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, sweat the onion, garlic and bay leaf until translucent and soft to the bite. Next, add the white wine, and reduce until the liquid is just coating the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken/beef stock, bring to the boil, then immediately reduce to a very low simmer.
Add the beef shin back into the pan and make sure it is just covered with liquid (if not, add a little more water or more stock), and cook on low for at least 3 hours, or until the meat is tender.
Remove the beef shin from the pan. Allow to cool slightly before removing the bones, then shred the meat into a fine mix. Roll this mix into 40 evenly sized balls, this will become the filling of the pasta. Store the rolled portions in the fridge until you are ready to assemble the tortelli.
Strain the braising liquid, so you are left with a clear stock. Allow the stock to rest in the fridge overnight, and once it is completely cold, remove the layer of fat that has risen to the surface. This is your finished brodo.
To make the pasta dough, measure out the egg white, egg yolk, salt and olive oil into a stand-mixer bowl. Whisk together, and then add in the 00 flour. Using a dough hook attachment, mix on a low setting until the dough forms a ball. If it looks to dry, you may need to add a drop or two of cold water. Allow the dough to continue mixing until you have a smooth firm dough. Wrap tightly in cling film and rest in the fridge for at least an hour.
To roll out the pasta dough, start by using a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a uniform rectangle that will fit the width of your pasta machine.
Set the pasta machine dial to its widest setting (usually no.10), and start rolling the pasta through, using a little flour as you need it. Continue this process while reducing the dial one setting at a time, until you are at setting no. 2.
To laminate the pasta, fold each of the long ends in on top of themselves to meet in the middle, then fold from the ends in half again. Repeat the process of dialling from setting no. 10 to setting no. 2.
This lamination process will create strong pasta, ready to be rolled down to its final thickness of setting no. 1. Once you have your final thin sheet of pasta, use a 2.5 inch round cutter to cut 40 individual rounds, place them onto sheets of baking paper, take care to keep them covered while you are working, so as to not let them dry out too much.
To fold the tortelli, fill a small dish with cold water and line a flat tray with baking paper. Using your finger, run a small amount of water around the edge of a pasta circle, and place a portion of rolled filling on the centre of the circle. Fold the circle over the filling, joining both sides of the circle together, pressing gently to remove any air bubbles around the filling. Once the edges are nicely joined into a semi-circle, hold the two pointed edges and bring them together, one running on top of the other, pressing firmly to create a hat like shape. Place the folded tortelli onto the lined baking paper. Continue this process with the remaining pasta circles.
To serve, heat the finished brodo in a pot, and taste for seasoning. Blanch the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water for exactly 5 minutes. Remove the tortelli from the water, and serve in a shallow bowl, ladle over 250-300ml of the hot brodo.
