This Oven Braised Beef Shanks recipe features a lean cut of meat slowly cooked with rosemary, carrots, mushrooms in more for a hearty meal perfect for a chilly evening. These beef shanks are especially delicious with a bold red wine such as the Halter Ranch CDP. Disclosure: that wine was sent as a complimentary sample.
We had some beef shanks in our freezer for a bit via our Walden Local Meat delivery service. As the weather started getting cold, it was a great time for us to do some research and come up with this tasty recipe for Oven Braised Beef Shanks!
What are beef shanks?
Beef shanks are a flavorful cut of meat that comes from the leg of a steer or heifer. This cut has high collagen content and tough texture due to the muscle’s frequent use, making it ideal for slow-cooking methods such as braising or stewing. Following a recipe like ours, beef shank transforms into a tender and succulent dish, rich in flavor. Beef shanks are typically cut into cross sections that include a piece of bone, as is the case with the piece of beef we used.
Recipe tips and overview
Below please find an overview showing how to make this rosemary braised beef shanks recipe. Head on down to the recipe card for all the details.
What kind of pan to use?
Choosing your pan and browning the meat. A Dutch oven is a classic choice for a braised beef dish like braised beef shanks. Lately I’ve using my Copper Chef Pan for braising (Amazon link provided).
The beef shanks are quite big, and I couldn’t quite fit both shanks in the Copper Chef pan to brown at the same time. So I did the browning of the beef in my cast iron skillet, then proceeded to do the rest in the Copper Chef pan.
So, if you have a Dutch oven or other oven proof pan that can fit the beef shanks on the bottom, you can use just that one. But if your braising pan is smaller, like mine, you can brown in a skillet and then do the rest in the braising pan.
Recipe steps overview
Preheat oven to 325. Pat the beef shanks dry, and set them on a platter.
Add salt and pepper to both sides of the beef.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a Dutch oven or skillet. Add the beef shanks so that they all fit on the bottom of the pan.
Cook for about 5 minutes on one side so that the shanks brown, then turn and brown the other side. Move the beef to a platter so that you can prepare the vegetables.
Sauté the onions by adding them to the braising pan along with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook for a few minutes until they begin to softne.
Add the carrots, and cook for a few more minutes. Next stir in the mushrooms, followed by the tomato past and garlic.
Add the liquids to the pan Stir in the red wine, and let it cook down for a few minutes.
Next, add 1 cup of the beef stock, crushed tomatoes, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves.
Return the beef shanks to the pan, placing them on top of the veggies and liquid.
Pour the remaining ½ cup of broth over the beef shanks. Cover the braising pan / Dutch oven. Place in the oven, and braise for 2 ½ to 3 hours at 325 degrees.
The meat should be fall off the bone tender when the braised beef shanks are done.Stir the veggies and remaining liquid a bit, pouring a bit over the beef.
You are ready to serve and enjoy!
What to serve with braised beef shanks
We enjoyed our oven braised beef shanks served over mashed potatoes. I also made a side of black-eyed peas with collard greens. A green salad or something like our sautéed arugula with red bell peppers could work nicely, too.
Serving braised beef shanks over polenta is another popular option.
And of course, a nice bold red wine is good with beef shanks too! More on that follows.
Wine pairing
We’ve had a bottle of the 2020 Halter Ranch CDP ($58 for the 2021, 14.7% ABV) waiting in the wings to open to go with a suitably hearty meal. Our Oven Braised Beef Shanks seemed to be just the occasion for it!
In this case, CDP stands for “Cotes de Paso”! The wine is a blend of 70% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 13% Mourvedre and 2% Tannat, all from the Adelaida District of Paso Robles.
This bold red wine from Paso has a dusky nose with red berry fruit. On the palate, I get violet and raspberry on the front. Some licorice and anise notes, and some hints of chocolate on the finish. An excellent wine on its own, and delicious with the braised beef shanks! The wine has the heft to match the beef nicely, and nuance to pick up the rosemary and other flavors the beef is cooked with.
You can learn more about Halter Ranch and get serving ideas in this Pairings with Halter Ranch Wines article. I also had a chance to interview Halter Ranch Chef Paul Arangorin for Episode 38 of the Cook Local podcast. Check it out for more info on Halter Ranch and their commitment to sustainability, both in terms of their wines and the food they serve.
PrintRecipe card
Oven Braised Beef Shanks Recipe
The hearty, lean cut of beef shanks slowly braise in the oven with mushrooms, rosemary and carrots for a satisfying meal. Enjoy with mashed potatoes or polenta and a good glass of red wine!
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 3 hours
- Total Time: 3 hrs 10 mins
- Yield: 7 servings 1x
- Category: main
- Method: braise
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds beef shanks (2 beef shanks
- 2 teaspoons salt plus pepper to taste (see note)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 5 mushrooms – button or baby bella – chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 to 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 ½ cups beef stock
- 8 ounces crushed tomatoes
- handful of parsley, chopped, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Pat the beef shanks dry with a paper towel, then add salt and pepper on both sides of the beef.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil on medium heat in a Dutch oven or other oven proof dish that has a cover. Add the beef shanks to brown, cooking about 5 minutes on one side, then turning to brown on the other side for about 5 minutes. (see note) Remove the browned beef shanks to a platter and set aside.
- Start the onions and other veggies. Add the other tablespoon olive oil to the same Dutch oven or pan that you used for the beef shanks (unless using two pans as noted below). Heat the oil on medium, and add the onions and cook for a few minutes until they start to soften. Add the carrots and cook for a couple more minutes. Stir in the mushrooms, followed by the garlic and tomato paste.
- Add liquids: Add the red wine, and stir to scrape up any browned bits and incorporate with the vegetables. Let the wine cook down for a few minutes. Then add 1 cup of the beef stock, crushed tomatoes, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. Stir to combine.
- Braise the beef: add the beef shanks back to the pot, placing them on top of the vegetables and liquid. Pour the remaining half cup of broth over the beef. Cover the pan, and place the beef into the oven to braise for 2 ½ to 3 hours. The beef will be fall off the bone tender when it is ready! Ours was done in 2 hours and 45 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy! We served our oven braised beef shanks with mashed potatoes. Polenta could be another good serving option.
Notes
- You could adjust salt downward a bit if you are trying to keep the sodium low.
- The copper pan we were using for braising wasn’t wide enough for browning the beef shanks. So we did the browning in a cast iron skillet, then did the rest of the preparation in the copper pan.
More recipes to try
If you like this Oven Braised Beef Shanks recipe, here are some other hearty Cooking Chat recipes to try:
- Red Wine Braised Short Ribs with Mushrooms
- Oven Roasted Sirloin Steak with Onion Sauce
- Bottom Round Roast with Mushrooms
- Easy Ham and Cheese Pasta Bake
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