Diced shin doesn't need overnight cooking or cooking in a slow cooker (use that for mulled wine then ditch it!). It's done in two hours at a gentle simmer, or just a bit longer at most. Some of you guys don't half over-egg. Your great-grandmother didn't do all that flouring, browning, onion-frying and herbing. Everything went in the pot and she could knit her boy a new jumper while the pot simmered, then she could feed twenty farm-hands who would then love her for ever. Use the best quality basic ingredients you can lay your hands on and trust them to deliver all the flavour you need!