Slow-Braised Beef Shank with Vegetables and Mashed Potatoes
Tender beef shank slow-braised in the oven with onions, carrots, celery, and tomato paste, served with creamy mashed potatoes.
- Time
- 3 h 10 min
- Serving
- 762 kcal
- Ingredients
- ≈ $3.56
- Protein
- 67 g
Ingredients
- 1 Beef shankpack 800 g ≈ $6.50Not in every store: Walmart, Kroger, Costco, Target, Trader Joe's, Safeway, Whole Foods 300 g
- 2 Onions≈ $1.60 per kg 60 g
- 3 Carrots≈ $1.50 per kg 60 g
- 4 Celery stalkspack 400 g ≈ $2.20 40 g
- 5 Tomato pastepack 140 g ≈ $1.00 20 g
- 6 Garlic≈ $10.00 per kg 5 g
- 7 Bay leaves 1 g
- 8 Potatoes≈ $2.19 per kg 200 g
- 9 Butterpack 180 g ≈ $1.58 10 g
- 10 Salt 2 g
- 11 Ground black pepper to taste
Grey rows are pantry staples: salt, oil, spices. They are not counted in the serving price.
Method
Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Pat the shank dry, season generously with salt.
Sear the shank in a Dutch oven or heavy skillet over high heat for 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
In the same pot, sauté the diced onions2, carrots3, and celery4 over medium heat for 8 minutes until softened. Stir in tomato5 paste and minced garlic6, cooking for 2 more minutes.
Return the shank to the pot, add enough water to cover half the meat (~400 ml), and include a bay leaf and black pepper. Bring to a boil.
Cover and braise in the oven for 2.5 hours, until the meat pulls away from the bone easily.
Thirty minutes before serving, peel and chop the potatoes8, boil in salted water for 20 minutes until tender, then mash with butter9 and a splash of the cooking liquid.
Remove the bay leaf. If the sauce is too thin, simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Serve the shank with mashed potatoes8 and the rich sauce.
Tips
- Why it works
- Pat the shank dry before searing to prevent steam from blocking browning; wet meat will release instead of caramelizing.
- Substitutions
- Use 60g frozen mixed vegetables (peas, corn) instead of fresh celery. Thaw first. Skip tomato paste and add 100g crushed canned tomatoes for acidity.
- Common mistakes
- Overcrowding the pot during searing causes steaming instead of browning. Meat will look pale and taste raw even after braising.
- Storing and reheating
- Stores 4 days in the fridge; reheat in a pot with 2 tbsp water over medium heat until bubbling, then 5 minutes covered. Freezes well for 3 months.
- Serve with
- Pair with crusty bread to soak up the sauce, or serve alongside a simple green salad for balance.
In short
- In the planner this dish is cooked for two days: reheat on day two.
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