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{Note from Jessica: Today’s post is shared by my lovely friend, Marjorie Saveski, author of the This is So Good website. Marjorie is a blogger and a home cook with a passion for real food, health, and fitness. She hopes to share what she has learned through her real life experience and research with her readers. Stop by her site, This is So Good, to find more delicious recipes and helpful health information.}
There’s nothing quite like a savory slow-cooked meal on a cold winter day like these slow cooker beef shanks with garlic and herbs. Your house will smell amazing and the food will warm you from the inside!
I love my slow cooker for many reasons.
First, convenience. Prep the food that morning or the night before, and set the slow cooker to low before heading out the door. Dinner is ready to go when you get home! Or throw some bones and veggies in and the next day you will have lots of homemade stock to use later in the week or freeze for another time.
Second, minimal cleanup! Even if you choose to sear the meat and sauté the veggies before adding them to your slow cooker, there is usually only one pan to wash.
Third, you can make tougher cuts of meat (which are usually cheaper), tender and delicious with low, slow cooking. These cheaper cuts are typically larger too, allowing you to have several meals from one day of prep!
Cheaper cuts of meat including shanks, short ribs, briskets, and chuck roasts contain more connective tissue and saturated fats than their more expensive counterparts like steaks and tenderloins.
Slow cooking breaks down the connective tissue (which contains important nutrients like choline, glycine, glucosamine, and chondroitin – important for healthy skin, nails, joints, and your gut!) and renders some of the fat, which leaves you with tender, juicy meat and a delicious and nutritious sauce or stock.
Because you have saved money by purchasing the cheaper cuts, you may be able to budget for higher quality, grass-fed and pastured meats.
Slow Cooker Beef Shanks with Garlic and Herbs
I’m a huge fan of beef shanks! This recipe for slow cooker beef shanks is going to quickly become one of your home’s favorite meals.
I was first introduced to them by my mother-in-law. She made us melt-in-your-mouth beef shanks for dinner one evening and I knew I had to start making them too.
One of my favorite preparations is my Osso Bucco with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Capers. Although that recipe was prepared in a Dutch Oven and slow-cooked in the oven, I have made it in the slow cooker as well and it’s still a winner!
You will notice a couple of themes between the two recipes.
Homemade stock is used for the braising liquid. If you haven’t jumped on the homemade stock bandwagon yet, do yourself a favor and do it!! You can freeze it to have on hand for dishes like this one and by using bones from other meals, you will be saving money too.
Another favorite addition is anchovies. Don’t freak out, your meat will NOT taste fishy. Anchovies lend a beautiful, savory taste (umami) to your meal and no one will ever suspect it!
Finally, I like to brighten up slow-cooked meals with some fresh herbs after plating – it gives a little extra flavor and a pretty green color!
I’d like to make two quick notes before we get to the recipe. I leave the garlic cloves whole so that they become very soft and buttery when ready to serve. I love to spread them over the shank like butter – so delicious!
Next, do not miss out on the bone marrow goodness from your slow cooker beef shanks! My husband and I eat it with spoons, but you can also scoop it out and mix it in with the gravy.
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Slow Cooker Beef Shanks with Garlic and Herbs :: Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free Option
There's nothing quite like a savory slow-cooked meal on a cold winter day like these slow cooker beef shanks with garlic and herbs. Your house will smell amazing and the food will warm you from the inside!
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Grass-fed Ghee, butter, or coconut oil, for browning
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 5 pounds of beef shanks
- 1 large sweet onion, diced
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 3 ribs of celery, chopped
- 8-10 large garlic cloves, skins removed but left whole
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cups of beef stock
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 4-5 anchovies (you could leave these out, but trust me, they add an amazing depth of flavor!)
- 8 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- Minced chives and parsley for garnishing, optional
Instructions
- In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt enough of the fat of your choice to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Season the shanks on both sides with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Place two to three of the shanks in the pan and brown them on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining shanks, adding more fat to the pan if needed.
- While those are browning, chop your carrots and celery.
- Place the browned shanks into the slow cooker.
- In the same frying pan, add a little more fat if needed to cover the bottom of the pan and add the diced onion, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, sautéing until the onions are translucent and the garlic cloves are slightly browned, about 5 minutes.
- Place the onions and garlic over the shanks in the slow cooker. Add the chopped carrots and celery.
- Return the frying pan to the heat and add the stock, tomato paste, and anchovies, stirring with a spoon to loosen up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Turn off the heat and add the stock mixture to the slow cooker.
- Tie the thyme and rosemary into a bundle with some kitchen twine and tuck it into the slow cooker, nestled under the stock.
- Turn your slow cooker to low and let the shanks cook for about 8 hours.
- Before serving, remove the herb bundle. The leaves will have fallen off the stems and will flavor the sauce.
- If serving right away, try to skim off some of the fat and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Plate with the side of your choice. We love this dish with garlic cheddar mashed potatoes or cauliflower puree and minced chives and parsley for garnishing.
- I like to prepare the shanks over the weekend and then place my slow cooker insert into the refrigerator. The fat will rise to the surface and harden, making it easier to remove. I then let the insert sit out for an hour or two before placing it in the slow cooker on warm for several hours before serving.
Recommended Products
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Redmond Real Sea Salt - Natural Unrefined Organic Gluten Free Fine, 10 Ounce Shaker (2 Pack)
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Talatta -True Gourmet Mediterranean Anchovies - Acciughe Salate, 3-Pack - Made in Italy
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Bionaturae Organic Tomato Paste
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Beef Bone Broth Soup by Kettle and Fire, Pack of 4
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Instant Pot Qt 7-in-1
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Chefman Slow Cooker, All-Natural XL 5 Qt. Pot
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1261Total Fat: 45gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 458mgSodium: 491mgCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 192g
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered from Nutritionix and we often find their calculations to be slightly inaccurate based on the whole food ingredients we use on this site. Nutrition information can vary for a recipe based on many factors. We strive to keep the information as accurate as possible, but make no warranties regarding its accuracy. We encourage readers to make their own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
What is your favorite slow cooker meal? Leave a comment below!
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These sound amazing! I am curious though – can someone with a seafood allergy omit the anchovies? Will the recipe be affected all that much? Thanks!!
Hi Esther – I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t leave the anchovies out. They do lend some of the subtle richness to the stew, as well as some salt, but you could just adjust your salt as needed. I still think it would taste amazing! 🙂
LOVE this recipe, sweet friend! So I included it in my contributor post – “50 Fabulous Grain-Free Slow Cooker Meals” – over at Keeper of the Home. I hope it sends lots of new friends your way! 🙂
Thank you so much Kelly! 🙂
Its on my stove now cooking very slow.. I am serving this dish for my guest tonight. Thank you for this recipe. I made it exactly as the recipe says.
YUM! I hope you guys enjoy! 🙂
Thanks so much for this recipe! I make slow cooker beef shanks all the time, but this is one of my favorite recipes because it is simple and all the prep takes place in one pan. This is also the only one I’ve come across that uses anchovies. I love anchovies straight anyway, so, YAY! I tweaked it a bit and subbed/added some red wine as liquid, and also threw in some roughly chopped carrots and celery for the mirepoix. There wasn’t much talking at my dinner table for a while last night because we were all stuffing our faces with this stew.
Oh yum! I love the addition of red wine! Delish! So glad you guys enjoyed! 🙂
This is the perfect dish for a fall evening. I’ve never made beef shanks before, but this recipe made it approachable. Thanks!
Oh, so glad the recipe looks good and easy! Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy! 🙂
I made this recipe in my Instant Pot which allowed me to sautee and slow cook in one pot. I had to make in 3 batches because all of the Alderspring Ranch shanks didn’t fit otherwise.
I made a few changes based on what I had: I used a red onion I used my roasted tomatoes for the paste, 1 tbl Red Boat fish sauce for anchovies, and 1 tsp ea dried thyme and dried rosemary. I used my own beef bone broth.
I cooked on low for about 5 hours.
This came out delicious in the sauce but the meat hadn’t picked up much of the herb flavor.
Changes I’d make:
1. I’d use tomato paste that I allowed to cook for a few seconds in the oil before adding liquid ingreds.
2. I’d try w/fresh herbs. If using dried herbs I’d use more. Maybe even rub the herbs into the meat and chill for a half hour or so to infuse it w/more flavor.
3. Add a little butter to the final sauce to thicken it a bit. Or else add a little cornstarch.
I froze the leftovers and reheated them in my Breville oven. Yummers! Definitely a winner of a recipe.
Awesome! This sounds SO good! Thank you for sharing your modifications! 🙂
Can I completely replace the 2 cups of stock with red wine red wine without changing anything else?
And is there any advantage to using boneless shanks (which have a lot more meat on them?)
Hi Carol – We would not recommend using all wine in place of the stock, as the flavor would likely not be that great. You could definitely use boneless shanks, though the broth flavor will not be quite as rich as those cooked with the bones. Should still be delicious though! Hope that helps!
thank you.
My pleasure!
Hi!! I have some beef shanks that were included in a meat variety pack I purchased from a local farmer and have been trying to figure out what to do with them. This recipe sounds perfect but I have a couple of questions: I can’t have tomatoes, so am wondering about a substitute for the tomato paste. Tamarind? Any suggestions? Secondly, I only have about 2 lbs of shanks and not much experience with my slow cooker. I assume I should cook it for less time? How much would you suggest? Or could I use a pressure cooker? Thank you!
Hi Susan! Thanks for stopping by! Let me see if Marjorie can give us some suggestions! 🙂
Hi Susan,
Thanks for checking out the recipe! I think that you could just eliminate the tomato paste. I don’t know if tamarind would be a good substitute, I’ve never tried it 🙂 I think you could half the recipe and still use the slow cooker. I don’t think you would need to cut the time by too much, but I would watch that you have enough liquid during the cooking time. Some slow cookers let more liquid evaporate than others. I haven’t yet used my pressure cooker for shanks, but I’m sure this would be fantastic in there too! I hope you enjoy the shanks!
Marjorie
Do you have the nutritional info for this recipe? I’m doing keto, so I’m counting calories, carbs, fat, & protein. Looks delicious and I have a couple of beef shanks in my freezer now!
Hi Amelia! Thanks for stopping by! I don’t provide nutrition info on my recipes since I feel there is much more that goes into health than counting calories, fat, etc. There are a number of sites you could use. This one seems to be one of the most popular: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator. Have a great day! 🙂
OXTAIL STEW
Hi Peter! Yum! Oxtail stew is so good!
This was my 1st time cooking AND eating beef shanks. I was very hesitant as I’m not a hugh fan of stew and that is what I thought I was going to get. However, to my surprise, this was one of the best meals I have ever had!!!! I did substitute regular beef broth for the bone broth and substituted Italian seasoning for the Rosemary. And while
Im not a fan of anchovies I was amazed as to the depth of flavor this added. The garlic!!! OMG!!! We smeared it on the beef….OUTSTANDING! This is my new GO TO winter meal.
Hi Mary Ann! Wonderful! Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by and let me know how you guys liked the dish. I am thrilled you loved it. It really does develop such depth of flavor. And it’s perfect for those cold months where you want something hearty. Have a great day! 🙂
Tomorrow my shank 6 pound will be defrosted, it looks like I will use your recipe as a starting point.
Anchovies are the ingredient that makes or breaks a Caesar dressing.
Oven roasted garlic with olive oil are like candy, also make the best garlic spread.
Beef tail bones can be simmered through the day, filtered water added as needed. Left overnight without heat, the fat will preserve. Simmer again the next day till most of the water is gone. Bottle it up and you will have bone/marrow broth for a year or so.
Canning should not be a lost art, it allows for exciting meals in the cold of winter. Also it seems as if your friends are always hungry. They will inquire when you are fixing bear or Javelina stew again.
Thank you for having the recipe here.
Hi Tony! Thanks for stopping by! I hope the shanks turned out great! 🙂
Great recipe but when I realized that the delicious broth was going to be thin, I made it into one of the best soups I have ever tasted! I had made a bone broth using the bones from the beef shank with beef broth and white vinegar. I cooled that to get the fat off. Then I followed your recipe exactly but tripled the broth, using my homemade broth. I also had to add a small can of tomato paste instead of just 2 Tbsps. It would be a great soup at this point but I added a chopped bell pepper. SO flavorful. You are right about the anchovies adding depth. This soup can also take added veggies for a fabulous beef veggie soup: carrots, peas, green beans,potatoes, baby brussel sprouts would all work.
Hi Mari! YUM! Thanks for sharing your modifications! I always love reading them! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
I saw a typo in your copy:
I was first introduced to them by by mother-in-law. — you have by by, should read: … them by my mother …
Hi Chris! Thank you! We’ll get that fixed. 🙂
Delicious! Served over a terrific mashed cauliflower w/cheese. I think next time I’ll cook them for only 6 hours, as the meat just fell off the bone it was so tender. 😁
Hi William! YUM! So glad you liked it! Sounds amazing with the cheesy cauliflower! Thanks for taking the time to stop back by and let me know how they turned out. 🙂
This is going in the crock-pot soon. It looks delicious. I will cut back the broth and add 1/2 cup of red wine. For those that might skip this recipe because of the pain it is to peel 10 whole cloves of garlic, here is a tip: boil a pot of water, cut the tops and bottoms off the whole head(s) and put into the boiling water for 10-12 seconds. Drain the water and plunge the garlic into a pot of ice water for a couple of minutes. With minimal effort they now peel so easy.
Hi! Thanks for stopping by! Thanks for sharing your garlic peeling tip! I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
I love making this dish – it’s my go-to shank recipe. Thank you.
Hi Susan! Yay! I am so glad you like it! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂