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Beef shank stew is a delicious comfort food loaded with vegetables, nutritious broth, and delicate meat. This slow cooker beef shank recipe makes the perfect weeknight dinner for the whole family.
Beef shank stew made in the slow cooker will quickly become a family favorite. Beef stew is the ultimate comfort food and can be made up ahead of time with little effort. It is loaded with carrots, celery, potatoes, garlic, and more!
Once or twice a year, we purchase a quarter of a steer from a local farmer. Now that local farmer happens to be my sister at newhartfordangus. It is nice knowing where the meat is coming from and how it is raised as well as being healthier and cheaper. Of course, when you buy half of a steer, you get a variety of all the cuts. I know exactly what to do with the steaks, roast, and ground beef. But sometimes I pull out a cut of meat that I have no idea what to do with it.
The beef shank was one of those cuts. It isn’t your “normal” beef cut you get from the grocery store, but it is loaded with flavor and can be very tender if cooked right. The first meal I made with it was a beef shank soup.
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BEEF SHANK OSSO BUCCO
The beef shank can also be known as shank meat or Osso Bucco. This will come in handy if you ever order a steer with all the cuts, I have seen it labeled all three ways.
Shank meat comes from the forefront of the steer just below the brisket. It is the horizontal cut of the front two legs. It is a naturally lean, very flavourful and tender when slow-cooked.
BEEF SHANK IN THE SLOW COOKER
Beef shank will become very tender when made in the slow cooker. I love using my slow cooker on busy days or days when I will be out of the house.
Making soups and stews in the slow cooker is the best! Everything marinates together and comes out perfect! A slow cooker brings out the flavor in foods. Plus, it uses less electricity than an oven!
The slow, moist heat of a slow cooker gently cooks meat without any harmful compounds. You can use a crockpot or the slow cooker setting on an instant pot for this recipe.
EASY BEEF SHANK RECIPE
As a busy mama, I almost always go for easy when it comes to cooking! I love food as much as the next guy, but three meals a day can get tiresome. This beef shank stew recipe is so simple to make and only requires one pot.
If using an instant pot, you can use the saute setting to sear the meat and sautee the onions and garlic. Add in the broth, tomatoes, and other vegetables and cook it in the slow cook setting. This makes clean up so easy!
WHAT VEGGIES TO USE IN THE STEW?
One reason I love stew and soups is that it made with so many different vegetables and broth. This is the ultimate healthy meal!
The best vegetables for beef shank stew are potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, celery, and tomatoes. You can use fresh tomatoes or canned tomatoes. If using canned tomatoes don’t drain the juice, it adds delicious flavor to the broth.
Red potatoes are my favorite potatoes for stews, but any kind of potatoes will do!
BEEF SHANK STEW RECIPE
INGREDIENTS
- 2 pounds of beef shank
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 6 medium-size red potatoes, chopped
- 2 cups bone broth, chicken or beef
- 1 can tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 teaspoon oregano
INSTRUCTIONS
- Salt and pepper beef shank, chop into 1-inch pieces, set aside.
- Turn instant pot on saute mode and add butter. Saute onions and garlic for 5 minutes. IF you are using a crockpot, you can do this in a skillet and transfer them to the crockpot once sauteed.
- Add beef shank, carrots, celery, red potatoes, broth, tomatoes, and spices.
- IF using a crockpot, put on low setting for 6 hours or until meat is fully cooked and vegetables are soft. IF using an instant pot, set to the soup setting for 60 minutes or until meat is fully cooked and vegetables are soft.
I hope you enjoyed this slow cooker recipe! For more recipes like this, check out these posts below.
Creamy Chicken Soup Whole30 approved.
Cast-Iron Roasted Chicken With Potatoes
Beef Shank Stew
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef shank
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 8 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup celery, chopped
- 6 medium-sized red potatoes, chopped
- 2 cups bone broth, chicken or beef
- 1 can tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1 teaspoon oregano
Instructions
- Salt and pepper beef shank, chop into 1-inch pieces, set aside.
- Turn instant pot on saute mode and add butter. Saute onions and garlic for 5 minutes. IF you are using a crockpot you can do this in a skillet and transfer them to the crockpot once sauteed.
- Add beef shank, carrots, celery, red potatoes, broth, tomatoes, and spices.
- IF using a crockpot, put on low setting for 6 hours or until meat is fully cooked and vegetables are soft. IF using an instant pot, set to the soup setting for 60 minutes or until meat is fully cooked and vegetables are soft.
- Salt and pepper to taste and serve.
- Enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.