Braised Beef Shank
This divine masterpiece recipe is originally a Daniel Boulud recipe that I first had in Las Vegas circa 2007 or 08 at Boulud in the Wynn, which has since closed. It was Thanksgiving and I ordered this dish and was BLOWN AWAY. I had made this many times since and think of it as the perfect luxury comfort food winter meal.
I went to the butcher to purchase some short ribs and they didn’t have any, so I decided to try the recipe with an 8 lb beef shank and it was incredible! The recipe below is slightly different than Daniel Boulud’s recipe which can be viewed here. I served this with a parmesan polenta, and I amped up the vegetables a little bit and also sliced them a little bit thinner.
This recipe is also featured in Daniel Boulud’s cookbook Cafe Boulud (affiliate link).
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Braised Beef Shank with Parmesan Polenta
Ingredients
Serves 6-8
3 bottles dry red wine
1/4 cup grape-seed oil
7-8 lbs (ish) Bone-in beef shank
Salt & pepper
Flour for dredging
6-7 large shallots, peeled, trimmed, and cut into quarters
3 large carrots, peeled, trimmed and sliced
3 large celery stalks, sliced
3 large leeks (white and green parts), sliced thinly and washed and dried
1 head of garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
3 bay leaves
3-4 thyme sprigs
3-4 tablespoons tomato paste
2 quarts beef broth (I prefer regular with salt, you can sub out for unsalted)
Parmesan Polenta
Serves 6
1 cup corn meal
1 cup cold water
3 cups water (for boiling)
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter (I prefer salted)
1/2+ cup heavy cream
1 cup parmesan, grated
Instructions
In a large saucepan, pour the wine over medium heat. When the wine is hot, set aflame and let burn until the flames die out. Once the flames are no more, turn the heat up to high and boil until reduced by half. Remove from heat and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350°F and put the rack in the middle position.
Warm the oil in a large, heavy, ovenproof pot over medium-high heat (I used a 9 quart dutch oven). Pat the shank dry and generously season all over with kosher salt and black pepper. Lightly sprinkle flour over the shank. Once the oil is hot, brown all sides of the shank, not moving the shank for about 4-5 minutes per side. Move shank to a plate and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium and add in the vegetables and herbs. I like the brown the vegetables a decent amount- about 20-25 minutes. Once the vegetables are nice and browned, add in the tomato paste and cook for about 1 minute.
Add the beef shank back to the pot, pour the wine and as much beef broth as you can without it being too full. Bring everything to a boil, then cover tightly and place in the oven until meat is insanely tender- this took me about 3.5-4 hours for an 8 pound shank. Every 30 minutes, remove the pot and skim the fat. When the meat is done, I like to cool and then refrigerate overnight in the same pot.
The following day, scrape off any excess fat and rewarm in the oven or on the stove. Carefully transfer the shank to a platter and keep warm. Strain the broth and then boil until it has reduced to about 1 quart. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Parmesan Polenta
In a large saucepan, bring 3 cups water and salt to a boil.
In a measuring cup or small bowl, mix corn meal with 1 cup of cold water.
Once water is boiling, gradually stir in corn meal mixture and cook for 5 minutes stirring constantly.
Turn heat to low, cover pot and cook for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add in butter, and stir until melted and combined.
Add in heavy cream and parmesan, stir until combined.
Assembly
In a bowl, ladle beef reduction. Spoon in a generous serving of polenta. Top with beef shank. Enjoy this flavor bomb comfort food extravaganza!
