In an ongoing effort to reduce the amount of money I spend on food, I have recently been trying out cuts of meat previously unfamiliar to me. These cuts are often inexpensive and not exactly labelled 'prime' like tenderloin or fillet. Generally they are cuts that are tough as old boots, requiring long, slow braising to melt the fat and sinews and tease out their tenderness, after which, they are the most flavourful and succulent of any cuts. Even though these are 'lesser known' to me, they have been around for a long time. Now, the definite resurgence of these 'less desirable' cuts in our financially troubled times are giving them the attention they deserve and making them available to more people.
Shank is from the leg of a cow. Centre cut, as I had above, is just that. Sliced through the middle like a cross section, it reveals the bone which is filled with marrow. In the UK, this would be called the shin, (the foreshank) or the leg (the hindshank). Whatever it's called, it's a tough piece of meat if not cooked correctly. Very lean and sinewy, it becomes soft and almost gelatinous after long braising. Some people would also mention the prized bone marrow, an added little bonus treat that can be stirred into the gravy or removed and spread on toast. I feel ashamed to admit I threw it away. It came out of the bone in a whole piece, jelly like and solid. Not for me...yet.
Searing the meat at high temperature.
You can clearly see the bone marrow already beginning to soften and change colour at this point.
Recipe : Beef shank with sweet vermouth and aromatic vegetables
For this I also used 2 beef short ribs, another economical cut (though less so) which require long, slow cooking. I have read that shank is an ideal cut for the French classic stew Beef Bourguignon and decided to emanate this with some of the same ingredients and flavours. Both Neil and I thought the shank was better in both taste and texture than the short ribs. It was meaty with a strong, gamey flavour and pulled apart easily with the touch of a fork.
1 piece of centre cut beef shank and 2 beef short ribs OR 2 pieces of shank
3 tbsp oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped roughly
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
1/2 bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 piece celery, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, left whole
1 tbsp flour
3/4 cup sweet red vermouth, sherry or wine
3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
3 sage leaves
1 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 sachet beef stock or one beef stock cube
Heat the oil in a pan over high heat and brown the beef all over, turning frequently until dark brown. Remove and place in a large casserole or saucepan for braising.
Add the onion, carrots, garlic, bell pepper and celery to the frying pan with the flour and fry over high heat until beginning to colour and starting to absorb some of the juices and crispy bits from frying the beef. Pour the alcohol into the pan and stir well. Bring to the boil and then pour into the pan with the beef, including all the vegetables and bits at the bottom. (The frying pan should be relatively clean, you want to get all the tasty bits into the sauce).
Add all the other ingredients, stir well, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for around 2 and 1/2 hours until the meat is falling from the bone and the sauce is thick and deeply savoury.
Remove the meat, divide between two plates and spoon lots of gravy over each plate. Neil and I ate this with big pieces of bread only to dip into the sauce, but that was mainly through laziness. A pile of buttered mash would be a great accompaniment or even some rice. Anything to mop up the delectable gravy.
Talking of delectable gravy..this was my lunch today. Just a simple bowl of leftover gravy with a few vegetables and a few tiny pieces of meat. Like most stews, the flavour only improves the next day.
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