Osso Buco aka Shanks

Beef shanks benefit from low-and-slow cooking methods to help tenderize the meat and caramelize the rich collagen loaded in this nourising cut. Use this recipe to give your friends and family a 5-Star experience!

Ingredients:

• Ghee, lard, tallow, or animal fat of choice (for browning the meat)
• Ramstead Ranch Shanks (Osso Buco)
• Salt
• Pepper
• Diced celery, carrot, and onion
• Minced garlic
• Wine (full-bodied red preferable, can sub with bone broth)
• Can of crushed tomatoes 
• Beef broth
• Thyme
• Bay Leaves
• Parsley

Instructions:

Make sure you properly thaw your shanks, allowing them to reach room temperature before cooking. Do not cook from frozen.

Before you start cooking, make sure your oven is preheated to 250 degrees.

1. Preheat your oven and brown the beef: Use a cast iron dutch oven to heat the cooking fat over medium heat. Prepare the shanks by patting them dry and sprinkling with salt and pepper. Brown shanks for 3-4 minutes per side.
2. Cook the vegetables: Remove the shanks from the pan and set them aside. Reduce the heat to medium and add the celery, carrots, and onions to the pan, along with a little more ghee, lard, or tallow. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Add minced garlic and stir for another 30 seconds or so.
4. Deglaze the pan: Pour the wine over the vegetables to deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
5. Make the sauce: Let the mixture cook for about 8 minutes and then stir in the crushed tomatoes, beef broth, thyme, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer.
6. Braise the shanks: Return the browned beef shanks to the pan and cover it with a lid. Place it in the preheated oven and let it cook for at least 3 hours. When the time is up, the meat should be fall-apart tender. If it isn't, let it continue cooking for another 30 minutes to an hour.
7. Reduce the sauce: Once the meat is very tender, put the osso buco back on the stovetop. Take the shanks out and set them aside in a clean serving dish. Turn the heat to medium-high and let the sauce simmer rapidly for 5 minutes, or until it reduces and thickens.
8. Serve: Pour the sauce over the shanks, garnish with parsley, and serve warm with your choice of sides. A warm, buttery garlic bread is the perfect accompaniment to dip into the marrow of your shanks and mop up all of the delicious sauce!