Beef Shank Recipe: Braised to Perfection!
When was the last time you made beef shank? As beef shanks take more time to cook, many people want to avoid the hassle. But slow-cooked beef shank is one of the most delicious parts of the beef. I personally like this way of eating beef. That’s why I am going to share my braised beef shank recipe with you today.
Even though the cooking time is longer, you need almost no preparation to make this recipe. And you don’t need to be actively involved with the cooking process for the whole time. Let’s get into more detail and show you how this simple yet lovely dish is made. If you like this recipe, subscribe to our newsletter for free to get weekly updates.
Table of Contents
Beef Shank Recipe Overview
The following chart will serve as a guide regarding the cooking time, servings, and other key factors of the recipe. Take a closer look.
| Cuisine: Chinese | Difficulty: Easy | ||
| Total Time: 55 minutes | |||
| Serving | Preparation Time | Cooking Time | Calories |
| 4 persons | 5 minutes | 50 minutes | 228 kcal |
Ingredients Needed for the Beef Shank Recipe
Beef shanks can be made in a thousand ways. This authentic recipe uses the least ingredients and intends to keep the cooking process as simple as possible. As a result, you get to taste the real flavor of the beef shank. Here are the necessary ingredients.
Main Ingredients for the Recipe
- Beef Shank: Two beef shanks of about 500g. Using Angus or Wagyu shank will give you the best flavor.
- Ginger: 50g of ginger, cut into thick slices
- Green Onion: Half of a green onion stalk, cut into large chunks
- Scallion: 2 tsp of scallions, finely chopped
Sauces, Aromatics, and Seasonings for the Recipe
- Salt: 2 tsp
- Sichuan Peppercorn: 20g of Sichuan peppercorns
- Star Anise: 1 piece
- Bay Leaf: 2 pieces of bay leaves
- Light Soy Sauce: 2 tbsp, for serving as a dip
As you can already see, the list of ingredients is much smaller than other recipes. Also, you don’t need much of a prep work to make this recipe. Let’s start making the braised beef shank.
Beef Shank Recipe: Step-By-Step Instructions
Choosing the right beef greatly impacts the texture and flavor of the cooked dish. I used a shin shank special trim for this recipe. Here are the detailed steps.
Step 1: Clean the Beef Shank
Whether you get your shank directly from the butcher or buy a packed beef shank, you need to wash it properly. Submerge the shanks in a large bowl of clean water. Rub the shanks vigorously and drain the water. Then, rinse the shanks with clean water.
Step 2: Eliminate the Scum
If you directly start cooking the beef shank, the scum will make the dish unpleasant. So, you should get rid of this first. To do this, place a large pot with enough water on the stove and set the heat to high.
Put the washed beef shanks along with 5 slices of ginger into the water. Once the water starts boiling, cook the shank for about 2-3 minutes. The scum will come out and float on the water. Remove the foam using a spoon. Then, take the beef shank off the heat.
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Step 3: Start Braising the Beef Shank
The actual cooking process will start now. Put another pot on the stove and fill 1/4 of the pot with water. Bring the water to a boil before putting the beef shanks in.
Otherwise, the beef shank will stiffen and the dish won’t come out as tasty as you would anticipate. After the water starts boiling, add the beef shanks to the pot.
Step 4: Add the Seasonings and Aromatics
I want to make this beef shank as fragrant as possible without overpowering the original flavor of the shank. Put Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, bay leaves, green onions, and salt into the pot.
Stir everything so that the salt and the spices are distributed evenly. You don’t have much to do now except for setting the timer.
Step 5: Slow-cook the Beef Shank
Turn the heat down to medium and cover the pot with a lid. Set a timer for 40 minutes. The beef shanks will be braised within this period.
Step 6: Check If the Shank Is Done
After 40 minutes, open the lid and poke the beef shank with a chopstick. If the chopstick penetrates the shank, the meat is cooked properly. Turn the heat off but don’t remove the pot from the stove. Let it sit there for about 10 more minutes to complete the cooking.
Step 7: Let the Beef Shank Rest
Resting the meat is important so that the shank can retain all its juices and flavors. Let the shanks sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Another option is to refrigerate the shanks for about 3 hours.
Step 8: Slice the Shank and Serve!
After the beef shanks are rested, you want to slice them. Cut them into thick slices, each slice of about half an inch thick. Then, take light soy sauce in a small bowl and sprinkle some chopped scallions on top. Serve the braised beef shanks with the soy sauce dip and everyone will just love it.
Beef Shank Recipe Oven
Ingredients
Method
- Whether you get your shank directly from the butcher or buy a packed beef shank, you need to wash it properly. Submerge the shanks in a large bowl of clean water. Rub the shanks vigorously and drain the water. Then, rinse the shanks with clean water.
- If you directly start cooking the beef shank, the scum will make the dish unpleasant. So, you should get rid of this first. To do this, place a large pot with enough water on the stove and set the heat to high.
- Put the washed beef shanks along with 5 slices of ginger into the water. Once the water starts boiling, cook the shank for about 2-3 minutes. The scum will come out and float on the water. Remove the foam using a spoon. Then, take the beef shank off the heat.
- The actual cooking process will start now. Put another pot on the stove and fill 1/4 of the pot with water. Bring the water to a boil before putting the beef shanks in.
- Otherwise, the beef shank will stiffen and the dish won’t come out as tasty as you would anticipate. After the water starts boiling, add the beef shanks to the pot.
- I want to make this beef shank as fragrant as possible without overpowering the original flavor of the shank. Put Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, bay leaves, green onions, and salt into the pot.
- Stir everything so that the salt and the spices are distributed evenly. You don’t have much to do now except for setting the timer.
- Turn the heat down to medium and cover the pot with a lid. Set a timer for 40 minutes. The beef shanks will be braised within this period.
- After 40 minutes, open the lid and poke the beef shank with a chopstick. If the chopstick penetrates the shank, the meat is cooked properly. Turn the heat off but don’t remove the pot from the stove. Let it sit there for about 10 more minutes to complete the cooking.
- Resting the meat is important so that the shank can retain all its juices and flavors. Let the shanks sit for about 10 minutes before serving. Another option is to refrigerate the shanks for about 3 hours.
- After the beef shanks are rested, you want to slice them. Cut them into thick slices, each slice of about half an inch thick. Then, take light soy sauce in a small bowl and sprinkle some chopped scallions on top. Serve the braised beef shanks with the soy sauce dip and everyone will just love it.
Nutrition Facts of Beef Shank Recipe
The beef shank is high in protein and other necessary nutrients. As we didn’t use any oil to make this recipe, it will be much healthier. Here are the nutritional values of the braised beef shank.
- Total Carbohydrates: 0g
- Protein: 38.7g
- Total Fat: 7.2g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g
- Monounsaturated Fat: 3.2g
- Total Dietary Fiber: 0g
- Total Sugar: 0g
- Cholesterol: 88mg
- Sodium: 72mg
- Calcium: 36mg
- Potassium: 506.6mg
- Iron: 4.4mg
FAQs
Besides the recipe, you should also know the following answers to some common questions regarding beef shank. I tried to include the most frequent questions here. Check them out.
Is beef shank healthy?
Of course. Beef shank is a very good source of protein and other nutrients. It also contains folates and a lot of minerals that are essential for your bone health. Also, the carbohydrate and fat content in beef shank is low. So, it would be great for people with a low or no-carb diet.
Can I cook beef shank in the oven?
Large, thick pots used to braise beef shanks are also known as Dutch ovens. So, this recipe can technically be called an oven recipe of beef shanks. If you want to use a traditional oven, cover the pot with the lid and put it in the oven for a few hours.
Can I slice braised beef shanks lengthwise?
Yes, you can. But that will make the meat much tougher to eat. Cutting against the grain is the best way to enjoy tender and juicy beef shank. So, you should slice the braised beef shank against the grain.
Do I need to use anything to tenderize the meat?
If you use good-quality beef shanks, such as Angus or Wagyu, you don’t need to use any tenderizer. Slow cooking will soften the meat enough. Otherwise, you might use a splash of vinegar in the water to tenderize the meat.
Conclusion
Roast it, braise it, fry it – you can torture beef shank as much as you want and it will still come out delicious. Especially when you use premium beef shanks, braising or slow cooking is the best method to give you the most authentic flavor.
In this beef shank recipe, I used a slow cooking process with a handful of spices and aromatics. The result was really great with fragrant and flavorful meat. Make this at home to enjoy the ultimate taste of braised beef shanks.
