When it comes to comfort food, few dishes can match the rich flavor and tenderness of oven braised beef shanks, a classic braised meat dish. Braising transforms tough cuts of meat into melt-in-your-mouth masterpieces. In this recipe, we pair beef shanks with red wine and tomatoes for an easy delicious meal.
The key to tender braised beef shanks is slow cooking at a low temperature, which allows the connective tissues to break down, resulting in succulent, melt-in-your-mouth meat.
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What Is Braising?
Braising is a cooking technique that involves slow-cooking meat in liquid at a low temperature.
Beef shanks are ideal for braising because they are a tougher cut of meat with lots of connective tissue. When cooked slowly, the collagen in the connective tissue breaks down, creating a silky, gelatinous sauce.
What's Beef Shank?
The beef shank is a cut of meat taken from the lower leg of the steer. With slow cooking, the tough connective tissue in the shank breaks down, resulting in juicy and fork-tender meat that falls off the bone.
While this braised meat dish can be confused with pot roast, both involve slow-cooking meat in liquid. However, pot roast uses larger cuts of meat while braised beef shanks use bone-in shank pieces. The bone marrow in braising enhances the flavor and texture of the dish.
Grocery List
- Beef Shanks: Beef or veal shanks, in 2-inch shanks or sub beef chuck (2-inch chunks), short ribs, beef brisket, or ox tails.
- Oil: Olive oil for searing the meat
- Vegetables: onions, carrots, celery, garlic
- Herbs: Thyme, bay leaf
- Wine: Red wine such as Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon
- Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes or use canned peeled tomatoes (crush before using)
- Ketchup: to sweeten the sauce (optional)
- Beef stock: Use Homemade Beef Broth for best results or use low-sodium beef broth or stock. You can also use water.
- Seasonings: Salt and black pepper, and a little sugar can be added to the sauce
Braised Beef Shank Recipe
What You Need:
- 3 pounds beef shanks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 2 carrots, peeled and diced
- 1-2 celery ribs, diced
- 12 fresh thyme branches
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 ½ cups red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir
- 1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 cups beef stock, homemade bone broth, or low-sodium beef stock from a carton, heated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
How to Braise Beef Shanks
This is a lot of directiosn but its easy. Essentially, you are searing the meat in a big pot. Adding all your flavorful ingredients and then placing the pot in a hot oven to cook and tenderize.
Have everything cut and measured before you begin.
If you dont want to use wine, you can use grape juice or water.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). with the oven rack set at the bottom position so the pot fits in the oven.
- Pat the meat dry with paper towels and then season the meat generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches and sear on both sides until it's a deep golden brown. Remove the meat from the pot and set it aside.
- In the same pot, add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté the vegetables until they begin to soften and develop color, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute, until fragrant.
- Pour in the wine. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-low. Deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release the brown bits. Let it cook and reduce by half for about 10 minutes.
- Add the meat and its accumulated juices back to the pot. Add the beef broth, thyme, bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, and ketchup.
- Bring to a low boil over high heat, cover the pot, and place it in the oven.
- Cook for 1 ½ hours. remove the lid and cook for another 30 minutes.
- Taste the meat and make sure it's tender. Depending on the thickness and quality of the meat, it could take longer to get soft. If needed, cook another half hour and check again.
- Remove the pot from the oven. With a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the pot.
- Strain the liquid in the pot in a fine-meshed strainer and discard the solids.
- Heat the sauce and reduce the sauce over high heat for about 10 minutes until thickened.
- Season the sauce to taste with more salt and a little sugar for a little sweetness.
- Plate the meat with a ladle of the sauce. Serve hot.
What Goes with Braised Meat?
Rich braised meat is best served over a starchy side such as creamy mashed potatoes, risotto, steamed rice, egg noodles, pasta, or polenta.
For vegetables, try sautéed green beans, steamed broccoli and carrots, boiled cauliflower, oven-roasted vegetables with garlic, Caesar Salad, or a green salad.
Storage and Reheating
Storage: Let the meat cool to room temperature before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 2 months.
Reheating: To reheat, place the meat and sauce in a saucepan over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or microwave on high for a few minutes until heated through.
Braised Red Meat
Braised Meat is a savory dish perfect for everyday dinners, prepared easily in one pot.
Braising tenderizes tougher cuts of meat by slow cooking them in liquid. The gentle heat breaks down connective tissues, resulting in tender and flavorful meat.
Braising shanks in the oven is simple and takes about 2 hours. You can prepare this a day or two before serving.
Make sure your pot has a tight-fitting lid. Before preheating the oven, place the oven rack in the bottom position and remove other racks to fit the pot.
After a few hours, the meat will be fall-off-the-bone tender, and the sauce will be thick and rich.
You can strain the sauce or serve it right from the pot.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can make braised meat the day ahead. In fact, it is recommended to let the flavors develop and mature overnight in the fridge, making it even more delicious the next day. To do this, simply let the dish cool down after cooking, cover and refrigerate. When ready to serve, reheat the Osso Bucco on the stove or in the oven until warmed through.
Many red wines can complement braised beef. Some popular choices include Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah. Use a wine that you enjoy drinking so you like the taste.
Yes, you can freeze braised beef shank. Let it cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container or bag. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
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Braised Meat Dish
Ingredients
- 3 pounds beef shanks
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 2 carrots peeled and diced
- 1-2 celery ribs diced
- 12 fresh thyme branches
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 ½ cups red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir
- 1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
- ½ cup ketchup
- 2 cups beef stock homemade bone broth, or low-sodium beef stock from a carton, heated
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C). with the oven rack set at the bottom position so the pot fits in the oven.
- Pat the meat dry with paper towels and then season the meat generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef in batches and sear on both sides until it's a deep golden brown. Remove the meat from the pot and set it aside.
- In the same pot, add the diced onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté the vegetables until they begin to soften and develop color, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute, until fragrant.
- Pour in the wine. Bring to a boil and then reduce to medium-low. Deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release the brown bits. Let it cook and reduce by half for about 10 minutes.
- Add the meat and its accumulated juices back to the pot. Add the beef broth, thyme, bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, and ketchup.
- Bring to a low boil over high heat, cover the pot, and place it in the oven.
- Cook for 1 ½ hours. remove the lid and cook for another 30 minutes.
- Taste the meat and make sure it's tender. Depending on the thickness and quality of the meat, it could take longer to get soft. If needed, cook another half hour and check again.
- Remove the pot from the oven. With a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the pot.
- Strain the liquid in the pot in a fine-meshed strainer and discard the solids.
- Heat the sauce and reduce the sauce over high heat for about 10 minutes until thickened.
- Season the sauce to taste with more salt and a little sugar for a little sweetness.
- Plate the meat with a ladle of the sauce. Serve hot.
Joe Price says
My family loved this!
Jake says
❤️