Braised Beef Shanks
Braised Beef Shanks with Coconut Milk, Ginger and Cumin

I purchased some beef shanks that were about 1 ½ inches thick from my friends at the Farmers Market in Ardmore, PA. I have braised lamb shank, veal shank and pork shank so I was excited to see how beef shanks would compare.
The recipe was adapted from The Complete Meat Cookbook, one of the best cookbooks in my collection. If you want to learn about beef, pork or lamb, this book is a must. Not only does it have loads of great recipes, it has tons of information about meat cuts and how to cook them.
One thing I noticed when the shanks started cooking was a peculiar smell in the kitchen. To be honest, it wasn’t that appetizing but after about 45 minutes, the “peculiar” smell changed into an appealing one. So don’t be alarmed if you start off with a funky aroma.
The original recipe calls for coating each shank with a flour, salt & pepper combination. I skipped this step and it didn’t seem to upset the finally outcome.
I was concerned the spices might be more than my kids could handle but was pleasantly surprised when both of them told me they enjoyed both the meat and the sauce. Like other braised shank meat dishes, even if the meat is over cooked and a little dry, the sauce makes up for it. And the marrow from the shank bones was incredible.
Braised Beef Shanks
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons peanut oil (I used extra virgin olive oil because that’s all I had)
2 ½ cups chopped onions
2 carrots cut into ¼ inch dice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
Salt & pepper, to taste
4 pounds beef shanks, cut 1 ½ to 2 inches thick
2 ½ teaspoons ground coriander
1-teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 ¾ cups brown stock (beef stock)
1 ½ cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 cinnamon stick, 3 cardamom pods, lightly smashed and 2 bay leaves – wrapped in some cheesecloth
Freshly chopped cilantro for garnish
How to Make Braised Beef Shanks
Start by preheating the oven to 325 F. Heat a large enough Dutch oven or roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil. When the butter melts, add the onion, carrots, garlic and ginger.





