BONE-IN BEEF SHANK STEW

Beef shanks are the secret weapon of this stew. It is a remarkable upgrade. Each thick piece of beef has a round marrow bone in its centre, and that bone is culinary gold. Marrow is the rich, buttery tissue inside the bone. During a long, slow simmer, it melts into the broth, while the shank’s natural collagen turns to gelatin, giving the stew extraordinary body, silkiness and deep beef flavour. And shanks are remarkably inexpensive. Add potatoes, carrots and a generous amount of our aged balsamic, and one of the butcher counter’s humblest cuts becomes an exceptionally luxurious stew.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 lb cross-cut beef shanks
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 tbsp EVOO
• 2 tbsp Garlic EVOO
  
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 4-5 cups beef stock
• 1/4 cup Traditional balsamic
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 3 carrots, cut horizontally in 2" pieces
• 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut in 2" pieces

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 325°F. Pat beef shanks dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Heat EVOOs in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown shanks deeply on both sides. Remove and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium. Add thyme, diced onion, carrots and celery. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes until softened and beginning to brown. Add 1/2 cup stock, scraping browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return shanks to pot. Add remaining stock. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Remove cover and add carrots, potatoes and balsamic. Cover and continue cooking for 45 minutes or until the meat pulls off the bone. Before removing shanks, take a knife and remove the marrow from the bones. Beef shank bones contain rich, soft marrow. Stir into the stew. Then transfer the shanks to a plate. Remove the bones.  Break beef into large pieces and return to pot.

Stir gently and taste. Season with salt and pepper. If the broth is thinner than you want, simmer uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes until rich and lightly thickened.