Ingredients
- 2 beef shank portions
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. white or black pepper
- flour
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1/4 tsp. granulated garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tsp. Herbs de Provence or a mix of rosemary and thyme
- 1 1/2 c. Marsala or Madeira (may use 1/4 +/- c. red wine or balsamic vinegar instead)
- water
- 2 small onions, quartered
- 4 carrots, chopped into 1" pieces
- 1 to 1 1/2 lbs. small to med. red potatoes, cut into wedges if not too small
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 28 oz. no- salt added crushed or diced fire-roasted tomatoes with 2 Tbsp. sugar or about 16 oz. beef stock (depending on your stew taste preference)
- Parsley, chopped (optional)
Directions
- 1
Place a Dutch Oven or other oven-proof heavy bottomed pot that has a tight fitting lid on medium heat.
- 2
Add oil and butter to heat.
- 3
Place about 1/4 c. flour in a dish or zipper plastic bag.
- 4
Dry shank portions and salt both sides of shank.
- 5
Place shank in flour mixed with the black pepper and coat all sides.
- 6
Add shank portions to hot oil and butter and brown on all sides.
- 7
While browning meat, preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
- 8
Once browned, remove shanks from pot and set aside.
- 9
Wipe remaining oil mixture from pot and return shank portions to pot.
- 10
Sprinkle paprika, garlic granules, and 1 tsp. herbs on meat.
- 11
Add Marsala or a substitute.
- 12
Add enough water that the liquid is at least three-quarters of the way up the side of the meat, but not covering it entirely.
- 13
Add bay leaf.
- 14
Place lid on pot or oven and cook in oven until meat is fairly tender (about 2 hours).
- 15
Remove from oven and remove bay leaf.
- 16
Skim off as much fat from surface as possible.
- 17
Add carrots, potatoes, and onions.
- 18
Add 4 Tbsp. flour with an equal amount of water and stir slurry into the Dutch oven/pot or stir Wondra flour directly into pot.
- 19
Stir in tomato paste.
- 20
Add tomatoes, if using. Or, add beef broth if needed to cover most of the vegetables with liquid.
- 21
Cook until all vegetables are tender and broth has thickened, 1 to 2 more hours.
- 22
Taste and add seasoning if necessary.
- 23
After removing from oven, take out both cooked shanks and their bones.
- 24
Cut up the meat into bite size pieces and return to Dutch oven/pot.
- 25
Sprinkle with parsley before or when serving, if desired.