How long does beef shank take to get tender?

Even with the braising step, a beef shank can easily take nine or 10 hours to tenderize fully. But when it does, it's worth it.

Which method is most commonly used for beef shanks?

How is beef shank typically prepared? Beef shank is often braised or slow-cooked to break down the tough connective tissue and create a tender, flavorful dish. It is commonly used in soups, stews, and braised dishes.

What wine goes with beef shanks?

Suggested Pairing This formidable dish needs a red wine with some tannic oomph, like a Napa Cabernet .

Why is my beef shank tough?

Since they come from the leg, the beef tends to be tough and sinewy due to higher levels of collagen . To cook past such flavors, cook shank cuts long and slow with moist heat. Soups and stews are often vastly improved when they incorporate shank as an ingredient.

Which cooking method is best for the shanks?

Lamb shanks are an ideal protein for braising, a combination-cooking method that starts with pan-searing followed by slow cooking in a liquid —usually in a Dutch oven or a slow cooker. Braising is the best way to prepare lamb shanks, which can turn stringy when cooked too quickly.

Which tenderizing technique would you use for beef shank?

Braising is a classic cooking technique. Typically it involves searing off meat then adding aromatics and a braising liquid (like wine and/or stock) then slowing cooking it, covered, in a low oven until the meat is very tender .

Does beef get more tender the longer it cooks?

It depends on what cut of beef and how you cook it . If you take a tough cut of meat and cook it at a low heat with liquid it will become tender but this takes some time. If you take a more tender cut of meat and cook it for a long time with high heat it will become dry and hard.

How do you fix a tough beef shank?

Plan on cooking your beef shanks for at least 4 to 6 hours to transform it from tough and chewy to tender and flavorful. (Or try using a pressure cooker to reduce the time.) However, as beef shanks are cooked slowly at a low temperature, the nutritional value of this cut really comes out.

How long does it take for beef to get tender?

For a basic beef soup using stewing cuts of beef, such as chuck or brisket, the cooking time can range from 1.5 to 3 hours . This duration allows the collagen in the meat to break down and become tender, resulting in a flavorful and satisfying soup.

Does cooking longer make beef more tender?

Your meat will be juicier and more tender The longer cooking time and the low heat complement each other perfectly. As a result, even though the meat is cooked for far longer, it doesn't dry out because the temperature is low. As a result, this is the best way to retain all the natural juices of the meat.

Red Wine-Braised Beef Shanks Recipe (2024)

Beef Mains
Beef
Mother's Day
Father's Day

For a comforting and hearty meal, braise beef shanks with red wine and vegetables until they're fall-off-the-bone tender.

Daniel Gritzer

Senior Culinary Director

Daniel joined the Serious Eats culinary team in 2014 and writes recipes, equipment reviews, articles on cooking techniques. Prior to that he was a food editor at Food & Wine magazine, and the staff writer for Time Out New York's restaurant and bars section.

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Updated August 03, 2023

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Why It Works

Divide the large pieces of shank into two pans or pots to avoid overcrowding and ensure even cooking.
The aromatics and braising liquid blend together to form a smooth, rich sauce.
A dash of soy sauce adds earthy complexity to the finished dish.

If there's one kind of wine that I love to always have around home, it's boxed wine. I know that sounds strange, but I have a reason: I use it for cooking. Cooking with wine can be tricky, because recipes may call for a half cup or two quarts. It often leaves you in the awkward position of having to decide whether to open a bottle just for that half cup, or hem and haw over whether it's really worth it to pour a large amount of wine into a dish.

I know, this is where most people chime in and say,I'll tell you what to do with any wine that's left over: drink it.And yes, that is sometimes a fun option, but the truth is I don't always want to guzzle wine just because it's open. Boxed wine solves my dilemma. First, there's some pretty decent wine sold in boxes now—some of it good enough to drink and a lot of it good enough to cook with. (We shareda few favorite boxed winesa few years back in case you're curious.) Second, boxed wine tends to cost less than bottles since its shipping costs are lower (transporting cardboard is less expensive than heavier glass bottles). And third, it keepsmuchlonger after opening, thanks to the airtight bags inside the box that collapse as you pour out wine. All you have to do is dispense as much as you need from the spout, and leave the rest for later.

So once we've solved the wine problem, what should we make? These braised beef shanks are a great place to start. I made them using a full six cups of dry red wine from a box, which is roughly the equivalent of two 750ml bottles. That's a lot of wine—and the box is still more than half full!

It's a very simple dish. The shanks are large—my 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven could only fit three shanks side-by-side—so you'll either need a roasting pan large enough to hold them, or you'll have to divide them between two pots (Dutch ovens and straight-sided sauté pans will work).

I start by searing the shanks until browned on both sides. Then I set them aside and cook diced aromatics like onion and carrot until tender. I add the wine, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer it until the raw alcohol smell has mostly cooked off. Then I add the shanks back to the pan and braise them in a low oven until they're tender, which takes about three hours.

Once they're done, I set the shanks aside once more, skim off some of the fat, and then blend the braising liquid and vegetables together to make a sauce, thinning it with a little liquid as necessary. A dash of soy sauce adds some earthy complexity.

It's a great make-ahead dish: like most braises, it gets even better as it sits. Just make sure not to miss out on that marrow in each of the bones. It's possibly the best part.

January 2015

This recipe was cross-tested in 2023 and lightly updated to guarantee best results.

Recipe Details