Dinner In A Movie: The Hateful Eight

By: The Food Hunter

It's time for another Dinner In A Movie!

The Hateful Eight, directed by Quentin Tarantino, is a mystery of sorts set in the Old West. At first glance you may not think this movie appropriate for my Dinner In A Movie series but one of the most dramatic scenes in the movie involves stew. Without giving too much away, this movie which takes place mostly in one room, is the story of a group of eight colorful strangers who take shelter from a storm at Minni's Haberdashery. Working towards a brutally violent climax the characters one by one reveal their story.



Though there was never a recipe given in the movie, this Jamie Oliver shin stew recipe is what I imagine they might have been eating. A rich and succulent stew that is fairly easy to make and tastes better the longer it sits. Each spoonful is loaded with flavorful vegetables and meat so tender it melts in your mouth.



Hearty Shin Stew
(courtesy of Jamie Oliver)


olive oil
2 red onions, peeled and roughly chopped
3 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 sticks celery, trimmed and roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
a few sprigs fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 small handful dried porcini
1 stick cinnamon
1 shin of beef, bone-in and cut into 5 inch thick piece
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon flour
1 28 ounce can of plum tomatoes
⅔ bottle Chianti

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. In a heavy-bottomed ovenproof saucepan, heat a splash of olive oil and gently fry the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, herbs, porcini and cinnamon for 5 minutes until softened slightly.

Meanwhile, toss the pieces of beef in a little seasoned flour, shaking off any excess. Add the meat to the pan and stir everything together, then add the tomatoes, wine and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Gently bring to a boil, cover with tinfoil and a lid and place in your preheated oven for 3 hours or until the beef is fork tender.

Taste and check the seasoning, remove the cinnamon stick and rosemary sprigs and serve.