Ingredients
- ½ cup flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 4 pieces beef shank, about 2-3-inches thick, tied
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 2 carrot, small diced
- 1 onion, small diced
- 4 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 cups canned diced tomatoes
- 4 cups beef stock
- 1 cup red wine
- 3 sprigs of parsley
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 2 bay leaves
For the Gremolata:
- Zest of 1 orange
- Zest of 1 lemon
- ½ cup, finely chopped parsley
- Pinch of salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F
- Mix together the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl.
- Dry the beef shanks. Dredge the beef shanks on all sides with the flour mixture.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large Dutch oven, set over medium heat. Add the shanks and brown them on each side for about 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Transfer the shanks to a plate.
- Turn the heat down to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil. Add the celery, carrot, onion and garlic. Sweat the vegetables for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they are soft.
- Pour in the tomatoes, beef stock, and red wine.
- Tie together the parsley and thyme and add them to the pot along with the bay leaves.
- Tuck the shanks back into the pot, cover. Transfer to the oven and cook for 3 hours, until the beef is tender.
- For the gremolata, mix the orange zest, lemon zest, finely chopped parsley, and a pinch of salt in a bowl.
- Carefully remove the shanks, without breaking them, and transfer them to a plate. Cover to keep warm.
- Remove the herb bundle from the braising liquid. Skim any excess fat off the top of the liquid.
- Transfer the braising liquid and solids to a blender. Blend on high until fairly smooth. Alternatively, use an immersion blender.
- Return the braising sauce to a pot and keep warm over low heat.
- To serve. Add some of the sauce to a plate. Transfer one shank to the plate, remove the twine from the shank. Garnish with gremolata.