Minestrone soup (2 stage)

Basically you boil/poach the meat first then make a soup with the meat and the stock...

Serves c.8 generously

Full ingredients list

1 bacon hock (preferred), or 1 very large slice (300g) of slab bacon (like unsliced streaky bacon; not pancetta)
300g of stewing steak (eg. skirt; chuck; brisket)
1/2 btl red wine
5 onions
4 carrots
1 thing of celery
4 cloves garlic
2 cans whole plum tomatoes
Large bunch of thyme
1/2 spring or other tender cabbage
Handful green beans
Handful garden peas (assuming frozen here)
c. 100g small pasta shapes eg. little stars or orzo
3 tbsp very finely chopped flat leaf parsley (measured when chopped)
4tbsp vegetable oil
100g butter

To serve:
Grated parmesan cheese; extra virgin olive oil; ground black pepper

Stage 1

Place the bacon in a small pan.  Cover with cold water and bring to a boil with the lid on.  Boil for roughly 5-10 minutes.  This is to rid the joint of excess saltiness and is a vital (and easy) step.  Dump it into a sink, wash it with cold water.

Place the bacon, beef, and some of the stock vegetables, all finely sliced, in a snug pot.  Ie. 3 onions; 2 carrots; 3 sticks celery; all the thyme.  Add a bay leaf/parsley stalks/whatever else you have.  Pour over the wine and top up with cold water.  Bring to a simmer.  Simmer off any scum that arises then adjust to a very slow simmer.  It takes time to adjust it to the right level, over the heat, because if your heat is at its lowest level the boil will be very sensitive to exactly how 'ajar' the lid is.  Poach like this for 4 hours.

Stage 2

Empty the above into a colander over a bowl once cooled for 20 minutes.  It's practical here to put the liquid and meat (separated) in the fridge until the next day.  Discard all the other vegetables in the stock.

Chop all the remaining vegetables finely.  In the vegetable oil sweat them adding each five minutes after the last in the following order: Onions; celery; carrots; garlic (briefly) then add the canned tomatoes.  Slice these against the back of a wooden spoon.  Cook like this for 5 minutes.  Chop the meat small then add this along with the stock.  Add more liquid if you think there isn't enough (this is bulk cooking!), and cook at this point for 1 hour.

Add the cabbage, finely shredded, and green beans cut into 1cm lengths.  Simmer another 20 minutes.

Add the pasta shapes and when they are nearly done add the frozen peas which only need to simmer briefly.

Add the chopped parsley at the very last moment and season well with salt and pepper.  You can also adjust the flavour with sugar if there is insufficient sweetness or red wine vinegar for acidity.

Top each serving with grated parmesan cheese, and pour a little extra virgin olive oil over then finish with extra pepper.  Should work!