Beef shank is an underutilized and inexpensive cut of meat that comes from the legs of a cow With the right cooking methods, this tough and sinewy meat can be transformed into a delicious, tender dish that is packed with flavor In this comprehensive guide, we will cover everything you need to know about beef shank including what part of the cow it comes from, how to cook it, and the many delicious ways it can be used in recipes.
Where Beef Shank Comes From
Beef shank comes from the legs of a steer – both the front and back legs. The foreshank comes from the forearm area above the knee or hock. The hindshank comes from the back legs above the knee/hock joint. These areas contain a lot of connective tissue as they are well-worked muscles that bear the weight of the animal. As such, they contain a lot of collagen that requires long, moist cooking to break down and tenderize the meat.
Shank is sold connected to the bone which adds extra flavor as the marrow from the bone seeps into the meat during cooking It can be cut into 1-inch thick slices across the bone resulting in round slices containing a cross-section of bone. Beef shank has a very low fat content, with minimal marbling in the meat.
Is Beef Shank a Tough Cut?
Yes, beef shank is an extremely tough cut of meat. The leg muscles of a cow are hard working and contain a lot of connective tissue. This makes the raw meat quite sinewy, fibrous, and difficult to chew. However, with the right cooking technique that moisture and time, beef shank can become extremely tender. The key is to cook it slowly, at low temperatures, to allow time for the collagen to break down.
Methods like braising, stewing, and slow cooking are ideal for getting beef shank melt-in-your-mouth tender. The meat can go from tough as leather to succulent and spoon-tender with the help of liquid and a long cooking time.
How to Cook Beef Shank
While beef shank can be grilled or pan-seared, it really shines when braised or slow cooked. Here are some tips:
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Braise the shank for 2-4 hours in a flavorful liquid like wine, broth, or beer until fork tender.
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Slow cook in a crockpot on low for 6-8 hours.
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Simmer in soups, stews, and pot roasts for at least 1 hour, preferably longer.
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Cook in a pressure cooker for 45 mins to quickly tenderize.
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Roast at 300°F in the oven in a covered dish with a bit of liquid for 3-4 hours.
The most important thing is to cook the shank with moisture at low temperatures for an extended time. This allows the meat to become succulent and the connective tissues to melt into delicious gelatin that gives great body and flavor to sauces and braising liquid.
What is Beef Shank Used For?
Slow cooking brings out the best in beef shank, so it’s ideal for dishes like:
Hearty Soups and Stews
Beef shank adds rich, beefy flavor to soups and stews. The melted collagen gives body to the broth. Try shank in dishes like beef barley soup, beef bourguignon, oxtail stew, pho, and Mexican beef (birria) soup.
Braised Dishes
Braise beef shank in wine, broth, or sauce until fork tender and serve with creamy polenta or buttery mashed potatoes. Delicious braised dishes include ossobuco, pot roast, and red wine-braised beef shanks.
Bone Broth
After cooking beef shanks, save the bones to make nutrient-dense bone broth. Simmer the bones to extract the collagen, minerals, and other nutrients.
Shredded Meat
Once cooked until tender, shred or chop the beef shank meat. Use it to make delicious sandwiches, tacos, enchiladas, empanadas, and pasta sauces.
Ground Beef
Because it’s so lean, beef shank can be ground up to make super lean hamburger meat.
With its deep beefy flavor and tender texture, beef shank transforms simple soups and stews into richly satisfying meals. By using the right cooking technique, this inexpensive cut can become delectable. Next time you see shank at the butcher, grab it and make something delicious!
Why you should smoke-braise this cut
Smoke-braising means smoking a cut of meat for a time to imbue it with flavor, then enclosing it in a humid environment with some liquid to cook the rest of the way. The braising step helps tough cuts break down more easily, and that’s why it’s important for this particular cut. As I said, shank is the leg of the beef. And being the support for the whole animal, the shank is positively chock-full of connective tissue that needs to be broken down. Even with the braising step, a beef shank can easily take nine or 10 hours to tenderize fully. But when it does, it’s worth it. The meat goes from stringy and chewy to soft and delicate, and you get loads of gelatin-rich juices from it that mingle with and add to the braising liquid.
Because it is so lean, the meat can seem a little dry once it is shredded, but you can moisten it with a cup or so of the meaty braising liquid. It will adhere and soak in nicely without making it seem soupy. The rest of the juices can be used for dipping sandwiches!
You could, of course, just braise a shank; and if you don’t have a smoker, or just don’t want to go outside to use it, you should. But that smoky edge with the flavor of the beef is so good, and the beautiful red of the smoke ring is a shock of color that adds great visual interest to the dish.
What is beef shank?
Beef shank is the lower part of the upper leg of beef. (Though you can also buy shanks of veal, lamb, or pork, all of which are wonderful.)
Beef shank is a relatively lean cut of meat that is very flavorful, making it popular for ground beef. The presentation we’ll be working on today is a whole shank on the bone, which is really the way to go if you want to smoke this cut—smoking the deboned individual muscles just lacks … pizzazz. After all, with the large bone, this is a cut that can make a great presentation piece.
Finding it might not be the easiest thing. Whole shanks aren’t available at every grocery store meat counter every day. You are more likely to find slices of shank sold as meat for the incredible Italian dish, Osso Bucco. (Osso Bucco is properly made with veal shank, but beef can be used.) The shank we were able to find was butchered and tied, which, if it’s available to you as an option, I would highly recommend. There’s a good deal of trimming to be done on a shank, and it’s probably going to turn out better if someone else does it for you. Getting one that is trimmed of all its copious silver skin, cut from the bone, and then tied back is a strong move. If your butcher can order a shank in for you, they can probably also trim it up for you.
The difference between a whole beef shank and a “Thor’s hammer” is that the top few inches of meat have been removed from the bone of the hammer. This gives the cut a “handle” you can grab, and makes for a fantastic presentation.
The Most UNDERRATED Beef Cut | How I Make Beef Shank
FAQ
What is shank meat good for?
Essential Vitamins and Minerals: Beef shank is an excellent source of vitamins such as B12, which is crucial for brain health and maintaining energy levels. It’s also rich in minerals like iron, essential for oxygen transport in the blood, and zinc, which supports the immune system.
Which cooking method is best for shank?
Here are some methods to get the best out of your shanks: Oven: Place the shanks in a dutch oven and pour the liquid overtop. Cover and braise in the oven for about 2-3 hours at 325 – 350˚F or until fork tender. This is our preferred method of cooking.
Is beef shank good for pulled beef?
It’s a very intimidating piece of meat, mostly because of its size, but also because it contains a bunch of intramuscular tissue that makes it tough with tendon and sinew. When handled properly, this cut makes the best pulled beef, amazing beefy gravy and quite the shots forInstagram!