Bones_ Recipes, History, and Lore - Jennifer McLagan [18]
11.Meanwhile, drain the marrow bones. Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the marrow bones and poach gently for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the marrow is hot in the center when tested with a metal skewer and there is no resistance. Drain them on paper towels, then add them to the Dutch
12.Using tongs or a slotted spoon, divide the meat and vegetables among four shallow soup bowls, giving each diner a piece of oxtail, shank, rib, and a marrow bone. Ladle over the cooking liquid, and serve with fleur de sel.
Braised Beef Shanks with Grape Sauce
Beef shanks are big, and while the front shank is a little smaller than the hind shank, it is still too big to consider cooking whole. I ask my butcher to cut the shank into thick pieces. You may be able to find four smaller pieces for this recipe, but most often, I use two big ones. Once cooked, the meat can be divided and so there is only the argument over the marrow bones to deal with. But after the long, slow cooking, the marrow will slip out of the bones, so it too is easily shared.
I wanted a sauce to complement the rich, pleasantly chewy, shanks. The grapes add a slight sweetness, which mellows out the shank’s beefy flavor. It doesn’t matter if you use white, red, or black grapes, but their juiciness will affect how much sauce you end up with, and their sweetness will dictate how much vinegar to add to it. This would also make a fine sauce for oxtails.
3 pounds (1.35 kg) beef shank, cut into i%-inch (4-cm)-thick pieces
3 tablespoons flour
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 onions, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 cup (250 ml) Brown Stock (page 12)
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1 thyme sprig
1 bay leaf
2 pounds (900 g) seedless grapes, stemmed
2 to 3 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar
1.Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Pat the beef shanks dry. Using kitchen scissors, make a cut through the membrane that surrounds each shank piece to prevent the meat from curling as it cooks, tie a piece of string around each shank to keep the meat in place. Season the flour with salt and pepper, then dredge the shank pieces in the flour, shaking off the excess.
2.In a Dutch oven or flameproof casserole large enough to hold the meat in one layer, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the beef shanks and brown on both sides, then transfer to a plate. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil, deglazing the pot by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Boil until the stock has reduced to ¼ cup (60 ml). Add the garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and 1 teaspoon salt to the pot. Place the shank pieces on top in a single layer and add the grapes. Transfer to the oven and cook, uncovered, for 2 to 2½ hours, or until the shanks are very tender.
3.Transfer the shanks to an ovenproof serving dish, remove the string, and keep warm, loosely covered with aluminum foil. (Leave the oven on.) Discard the thyme and bay leaf. Transfer the cooking liquid, grapes, and vegetables to a blender in batches, and puree, then strain through a sieve into a large glass measuring cup or a bowl. Let the fat rise to the top of the sauce, then skim it off.
4.Pour the sauce into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil until reduced to 2 cups (500 ml), skimming any foam that comes to the top; this can take up to 15 minutes. Taste the sauce. It will be sweet from the grapes, but you want just a touch of sweetness. Adjust the sweetness by adding the vinegar. Pour the sauce over the shanks, and place in the oven, uncovered, until heated through.
5.Check the sauce before serving to see if it needs additional seasoning or a splash more vinegar.
NOTE: You can prepare the dish ahead. Cool the sauce and meat separately, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Reheat the sauce, add the vinegar,