Red Wine and Garlic Braised Beef Shanks are a rich, heavenly slow-cooked dinner with lots of meaty flavor. It’s like pot roast on steroids. Make this for your next Sunday supper or fancy sit down dinner. You are sure to be thanked.
There are some meals that are so unbelievable that you can do nothing but moan through every bite. The kind of meal where the sheer joy of putting the fork to your lips drowns out all sounds of whiny children and replaces it with the voices of angels. Yes…the kind that will make you want to slap your momma.
These Red Wine and Garlic Braised Beef Shanks, ladies and gentlemen, is one of those meals.
What are Beef Shanks?
Similar to osso buco, beef shanks are a meaty cross-cut from the leg of the cow that requires low and slow braising, but the time you put in to it is repaid in heavenly goodness. The meat is tender and full of savory flavor and the sauce is the perfect accompaniment to the rich beef. Slap this hunk of delicious beef on top of homemade mashed potatoes and your eyes will roll back in your head its so good.
It’s okay. Go. I’ll wait.
Great! You’re back. Now get out your heaviest pot, such as a dutch oven or deep cast iron skillet, with a very tight fitting lid and get ready to cook tomorrow night’s Red Wine and Garlic Braised Beef Shanks.
How to Cook Beef Shanks
This is very important – you cannot be in a hurry to cook this meal. As soon as you are, your cut of beef shank will take 4 hours to cook instead of 3 hours. Give yourself plenty of time. If you pull this recipe out at 3 hours and its still tough, then put it back in the oven. It’s not done yet.
This is a very traditional sear and braise method of cooking. Make sure that the liquid only comes 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the meat. You don’t want it completely submerged. Then its soup and that’s something different.
What do you serve with beef shanks?
I like this meal over creamy mashed potatoes, but you could keep it really low carb by serving it on top of mashed cauliflower. It would also be delicious on buttered noodles or risotto!
Check out my other Beef Shank Recipe, Italian Braised Beef Shanks.
Ingredients
- 4 meaty Beef Shanks enough for 4 people
- 1 T kosher salt
- 1 t . freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 3 T olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth
- 2 cups dry red wine
- 3 Heads of garlic root end chopped off but bulbs intact
- 2 strips of lemon peel
- 2 big sprigs of fresh or dry rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 celery rib chopped
- 3 carrots chopped
- 1 onion chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350.
- Heat oil in a large heavy pot. Sprinkle both sides of the beef shanks with salt and pepper, then dredge each side in the flour, making sure to coat well. Brown the shanks on each side, 2-3 minutes per side. You may have to work in batches. Remove beef shanks from the pan and set aside.
- Deglaze the pan with the red wine, scraping up any bits on the bottom. Add the beef broth to the wine and then place the shanks, garlic, rosemary, lemon peel, bay leaves, carrot, celery, and onion back in the pan. Cover with a heavy tight fitting lid and place in the oven.
- Braise for 2 1/2 - 3 hours or until the meat falls off the bone. This could take as much as an hour to an hour and a half longer depending on the size and weight of your beef shanks. If, after 3 hours, the meat is still tough put it back in the oven!
- Let the dish cool on the counter for about an hour until it can safely be put in the fridge overnight.
- The next day, place the pot in the oven and turn oven to 300 degrees. Bake the dish until heated all the way through.
- Serve on top of a bed of creamy mashed potatoes with plenty of the sauce. And if you can get your fork in there, make sure you eat the marrow out of the bone. It's the best part!!
This DEFINITELY looks like a moaner!! In the best sense!
Tell me when a moaner wouldn’t be in the best sense? 😉 Good to see you around, Belinda!
Looking good ! Mash was definately the right choice. Beats polenta hands down 🙂
You were totally right. I’m glad I listened to you. 🙂
Oh I am so glad to have found you on Tasty Kitchen! I actually have some beef shanks in my freezer. We order a cow every year, and those shanks just sit there. Now I know what I’m doing with them! Thanks!
I normally comment on recipes on Google. However, this time I have to. I purchased expensive Beef Shanks yesterday. Also, a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon to make your Garlic, Wine Beef Shank entree. Followed directions perfectly. I cooked in a Le Creuselt Enamel Cast Iron dutch oven.
I was so excited for dinner. It was horrible. All I could taste was wine and beef stock. The meat was so tough I couldn’t even pull it. I’ve kept the meat hoping I can save it. But, everything else went down the garbage disposal!!
Won’t be visiting your site anymore?
Oh Pennie, I’m so sorry this recipe didn’t turn out for you. I can understand the frustration of having a recipe not work out quite right. I wish you hadn’t thrown out your hard work because it sounds like your beef shanks Just needed more time to cook. Beef shanks can be stubborn sometimes and take longer than expected to become tender. As for the flavors, all i can say is that I have made this dish many times and it’s based on a classic beef bourginon recipe that has always been well received but everyone’s palette is different. I’m sorry it didn’t suit yours. Thanks for the feedback
I have to agree with you about cooking a little longer . I think this is one of the best recipes I have ever found. I cook mine in my pressure cooker. I just Brown the shank then add everything else and cook at pressure for 20 minutes. It’s just like it was cooking all day. Our favourite by far.
What a compliment! I’m so glad you love this recipe as much as I do. The pressure cooker is a great way to shorten the cook time. Thanks so much for stopping by!
yummmmmm!!!!!!
These look delicious. I have never had beef shanks. Do you think this recipe would work with beef short ribs? 🙂
Yes! That’s a great idea!
Why can’t you eat it the first night? I don’t know if I could bear to wait!
You can certainly eat it. But it’s even better the next day!
Awesome! Thank you!
Tender. Rich. Delicious. Thanks for providing another great recipe! Also recently made your spring potato salad…it will be a regular for the next few months.
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
P.S. I love that potato salad. It’s the best reason to make your own mayo ever.
This is a great recipe. I make mine in a pressure cooker. Takes 20 minutes at pressure and tastes like it’s been cooked all day. Great job
I’ve made this yummy recipe many times. Our local grocery store doesn’t always have shanks available, but luckily today they did. Perfect way to warm up the house on a cold fall day. Thanks!
Thanks Robin! So glad you love them as much as we do. Its the perfect Fall dish!