Is there anything finer than tenderly braised beef shanks served over mashed potatoes or polenta on a cold winter day?
Cross-Cut Beef Shanks or Beef Osso Bucco are one of our favorite things this time of year, and no one cooks them better than our Chef and Farm Store Manager Brad Hayden.
Brad has offered up a simple, and delicious recipe for Braised Beef Shanks that you will fall in love with. Once you get the prep done, this meal comes together easily. The best part is that it can be left in the oven to cook while you take care of other things. Come back four hours later to a rich and delicious meal fit for a king.
If you like this recipe, come see Chef Brad at the Farm Store Wednesday through Sunday where he and the rest of the store crew stay busy feeding our community every week!
Enjoy!
Braised Beef Shanks
- 2 cross cut bone-in beef shanks (beef osso bucco)
- 1 yellow onion, rough chop
- 4 stalks celery, 2” chop
- 2 carrots, peeled, cut into 1 inch rounds
- 8 cloves garlic, smashed with the back of a spoon or knife, skin removed
- 1qt beef broth
- 1.5c dry white wine
- 3 whole cloves
- 3 bay leaves
- 2tbsp tomato paste
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3tbsp, plus 1tbsp olive oil (you could also sub softened tallow, or lard)
- Salt & black pepper
Preheat oven to 290 degrees
Place shanks on a shallow dish or plate. Rub the shanks down with 1tbsp oil (or the softened tallow, lard) and then season with salt and pepper.
Place a heavy bottom dutch oven large enough to accommodate the shanks on the burner of a range top set to medium high heat. Add the remaining oil or softened animal fat.
When the first wisps of smoke rise from the pan, add seasoned shanks, bone-side down. Continue to cook shanks, turning every 4-5 mins to evenly brown top, bottom, and all sides.
Remove browned shanks to the plate or shallow dish upon which they were seasoned.
Add bay leaves, garlic cloves, and whole cloves to the pan and, stirring consistently, sautee for one minute.
Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, celery, and carrot to pan, stirring a few times to distribute oil or fat among the vegetables. Season contents of pan with a three-finger pinch of salt and pepper. Stir once more.
Continue to sautee vegetables for 8-10 mins, stirring every 2 minutes or so.
Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 min.
Add shanks and any accumulated juices back to the pan with the vegetables.
Increase heat to medium high. Add wine and bring to a simmer.
Add stock and allow to return to a simmer.
Cover dutch oven with its lid tilted so that it’s very slightly ajar and, using kitchen rags or oven mitts, transfer Dutch oven to preheated oven.
Braise shanks in the oven for 4hrs, or until they reach an internal temp of 205 degrees.
Remove the dutch oven and place on a heat resistant surface. Leaving the lid in place, allow the shanks to cool for about 30 mins.
To serve individually, spoon a bit of mashed potato, polenta, or risotto onto a plate and top with one of the braised shanks. Strain the accumulated juices from the Dutch oven through a colander or fine-meshed sieve into a bowl or gravy boat, and ladle over to your satisfy your sauciness.