Braising is a perfect method for cool- and cold-weather cooking. Dishes can cook at a low temperature for hours, filling the air with tantalizing aromas, and the vibe says cozy. These Braised Beef Shanks are a delicious example of that.

I dove deep into my archive of posts to find this recipe, which I first published in 2012. Now that I’ve added some Google-friendly coding behind the scenes, hopefully more people will find and enjoy it.

Now that the cool autumn weather is here (I have my fingers crossed for one more blast of summer heat before the snow flies), my thoughts turn to braises that fill the house with tempting aromas. Hearty, cool-weather food that nourishes the body and soul.

It’s the season for a trip to the market, enjoying a coffee and lingering over the vegetable displays and butcher’s case, deciding what to pick up for dinner. On the day when I made this recipe, I had braised beef short ribs on my mind but ended up choosing a couple of beef shanks instead. If you can only find short ribs, they’ll work well here too.

Braised Beef Shanks

This recipe comes together quite quickly, and after that the oven does the rest of the work. The sauce of finely minced vegetables, wine and beef stock is rich and intensely flavourful, and the meat is falling-off-the-bone tender. Mashed potatoes are a great accompaniment for a dish like this, but this time I tucked wedges of potatoes into the pan and let them cook along with the meat. Even less work, and they picked up so much flavour.

By the way, my inspiration for this recipe came from Julie Powell’s book Cleaving (yes, the Julie Powell of Julie and Julia fame). Cleaving is a very different and often disturbing story, but you can look that up.

Tantalizing Aromas

While the meat was braising in the oven, I was in my office tending to paperwork when I was distracted by the tantalizing aromas wafting through the air, sharpening the appetite and making me glance at the clock. How long until dinner? This meal was worth the wait and was a harbinger of the winter cooking to come.

Let’s Get Braising

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Braised Beef Shanks

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 40 mins

 

I've made a few dishes like this over the years, and the last time I made braised short ribs I was inspired by Julie Powell's recipe in her book Cleaving. I had borrowed it from the library at the time, and didn't copy the recipe down. The idea to finely mince the vegetables came from elsewhere; because I read so many cookbooks and food magazines and watch a lot of cooking shows, I'm always picking up inspiration. I think you'll agree that dish is worthy of making again and again. Enjoy, and raise your glass of robust red wine to the hearty winter meals ahead!

Category: Main Course

Keyword: braised beef shanks

Servings: 2 servings

Author: © Marlene Cornelis/UrbanCottageLife.com 2012–2022

Ingredients

• beef shanks for two
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 carrots
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 large onion
• several cloves of garlic
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• a handful of mixed herbs, roughly chopped (I used sage, rosemary, thyme and flat-leaf parsley from my garden)
• 1 cup hearty red wine
• 1-1/2 cups beef stock (I use a low-sodium, organic stock and adjust my seasonings accordingly)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 bay leaves

How To Make This Recipe

1. Pre-heat the oven to 325º F.

2. Cut the carrots, celery and onion into large chunks, and put into a food processor along with the garlic. Pulse until very finely minced, and just beginning to become mushy.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over high heat. Season the beef shanks with freshly ground pepper and a bit of salt and sear on both sides. Remove the beef to a plate. Add the minced vegetables to the pan along with the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until the colour intensifies (a good 5 minutes or so). You'll need to turn the heat down a bit after a few minutes. Add the herbs and some more salt and pepper and mix well.

4. Add the red wine and stir well to deglaze the pan if any bits are still sticking to it. Add the beef stock, stir, and then put the beef shanks back into the skillet, along with any drippings. Put the bay leaves into the pan and, if you wish, tuck in some large chunks of peeled potato to cook with the braise.
5. Cover the pan and put into the pre-heated oven for about an hour and a half. (This is an excellent dish to cook in a slow cooker, should you be so inclined.) When it’s done, transfer the meat (and potatoes, if using) to a heatproof dish and put into the oven to keep warm. Remove the bay leaves. On the stovetop, put the skillet over high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat somewhat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced to your liking.
6. To serve, place a large portion of the braising liquid and vegetable mixture on the bottom of a plate. Top with potato wedges or mashed potato, then arrange the meat on top. Garnish with more of the braising liquid.

Looking for More Beef Recipes?

The combination of beef and cold weather is made for stews and curries. Check out these three recipes that also explore a world of flavours: Ginger Orange Beef Stew with Chinese Five Spice; Beef Curry with Potatoes, Red Peppers & Spinach; and Middle-Eastern Inspired Beef Stew with Cucumber Mint Couscous.

^{First Published 2012 10 07
Republished 2022 10 23}