This recipe is from Pat LaFrieda’s marvelous new book “Meat”. The renown LaFrieda meat company is four generations old, meat has been the topic of work and of the table for almost a hundred years. This family know’s meat! This recipe, as you can see from the picture, is one of those “ultimate” meat recipes that you might serve on a cold weekend night.
Ingredients
1 whole Beef hind shank (about 1.5- 2 Kgs), knuckle cut flat by the butcher; or 2 foreshanks (about 5 pounds)
2 teaspoons kosher salt plus more for seasoning
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour for dusting
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 large carrot, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 stalk celery, cut into ½-inch cubes
4 cloves garlic, smashed
5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 strips orange zest (removed with a vegetable peeler)
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
½ cup white wine
¼ cup tomato paste
6 to 8 cups veal or chicken stock, or as needed
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 lemon or ½ orange for zesting
Preperation Directions
Preheat the oven to 160 Degrees Celsius (325°F).
Season the shank meat with the salt and pepper and dust it lightly with flour.
In a Dutch oven or other ovenproof pan just large enough to hold the shank (or shanks) resting on its side, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it slides easily in the pan, about 2 minutes. Add the shank(s) and sear until browned all over, about 15 minutes.
Transfer the shank(s) to a plate. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and garlic to the pan you cooked the veal in.
Season the vegetables with salt, stir to coat them with the oil, and cook until they begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Stir in the thyme, orange zest strips, rosemary, and bay leaf. Add the wine and cook until it reduces by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook for 4 or 5 minutes to caramelise it.
Lay the shank in the pot (with the bone pointing to the side) and pour the stock around the meat, adding as much as needed so the liquid comes just to the top of the meat. Bring the liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cover the pot with the lid (or cover it with foil if you’re using a pan with no lid), put the pot in the oven, and roast until the meat is fork-tender and failing off the bone, about 3 hours. Let the shank cool in the braising liquid.
Remove the shank from the braising liquid and set it aside. Put the pot with the liquid on the stovetop and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley.
Put the shank on a platter with the bone standing straight up. Pour the sauce around it and zest the lemon (or orange) over and around the meat. To serve the shank, cut the meat down the length of the bone; it will begin to fall off in chunks.
About 1888 Team
The team at 1888 certified are always on the lookout for new and interesting dishes that are easy to prepare and great to eat. We have the benefit of having some self confessed “food…