Beef Shank

Meghan with the Beef Shank

Looks like a sculpture

Truffle Cheese, Motzos and Wine

It is Passover

The Shank after Cooking

Shank Meat on bed of Polenta

Not one, but two desserts!

Guillermo was in town for the weekend. It was the one year anniversary of the death of his mother. We invited him to dinner along with Tom and Scott. We decided to make Rotisserie Chicken, easy delicious for the dinner. We went to McCall’s Meat and Fish to get the chicken and Megan told us they had a Beef Shank that had been ordered but not picked up. Megan and Nate thought we should rotisserie it instead of the Chicken. Cathy and I went back and forth trying to decide if we should change our menu from chicken to beef and then we finally decided – how could we not attempt to cook this huge sucker.

I had doubts that it would fit on the rotisserie, Cathy had doubts it would ever get tender (shank meet is tough). When we got home Cathy did a lot of research and decided it really should be braised for many hours. We started by using Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton’s recipe for Beef Shank from the cookbook: Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton at Home. This required the shank to be cut into slices through the bone of approximately 1-1/2 inches. So I bundled up the shank and returned to McCall’s where the cut the shank up for us. We returned to the house to cook the shank, low and slow.

It was a warm night and we started on the front deck with a Truffle Cheese from McCall’s that everyone loved. It being Passover we served it on Motzos!

Next we had an Asparagus Salad with Burrata and Hazelnuts.

Finally we served the braised Beef Shank. It had become quite tender and the marrow from the bones only added to its richness. We served it over Polenta. It was a huge hit. I am glad we didn’t get the chicken and we listened to Megan!

For dessert we had Gateau Basque Cake from McCall’s and a Fruit Tart form Scott and Tom.

It was a great dinner with fun conversation.

Beef Shanks

Mark Peel and Nancy Silverton at Home

Beef shanks are delicious, meaty, and very inexpensive, but they may not be available at every market. They are worth asking for, though. Request one-inch-thick slices, allowing about half a pound per serving. Beej shanks contain lots of marrow, which thickens the hearty stock. Serve these beef shanks in a bowl with to soak up the flavorful broth.

2         tablespoons olive oil

2         pounds beef shanks

1         onion, finely chopped

2         celery stalks, chopped into 1/2-inch dice

1         large carrot, peeled and chopped

2         tablespoon chopped celery leaves

1         flat-leaf parsley sprigs

1         bay leaf

1         teaspoon fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried thyme

1         cup red wine

1         cup beef broth

1         cup water

1         tablespoon tomato paste

Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan large enough to hold the shanks in a single layer. Sear them on both sides over high heat until well browned. Remove.

To the pan add the oijiwn, celery, carrots, celery leaves, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, wine, broth, water, and tomato paste. Firing to a boil, return the shanks to the pan, cover, and simmer foivPhour. Check after 30 minutes and add more water if needed to keep the liquid to the top of the shanks. {

Remove the shanks, skim off the fat with a ladle, and put everything remaining in the pan into a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Puree, then press the puree through a strainer and return the liquid to the pan. Add 1 cup of water if the sauce is too thick. Discard the solids in the strainer.

Return the shanks to the pan and cook over very low heat_foj 1 hour 15 minutes, or until the meat is tender and falls away from the bone. Serve in a bowl.

Serves 4