Slow Cooker Braised Beef Shanks in Mushroom-Espresso Cream
Speed - 97%
Simplicity - 97%
Tastiness - 99%
98%
Excellent!
The beef shanks were melt-in-the-mouth tender. The espresso cream sauce was so uniquely rich.
Ingredients
- 1 Kilogram Beef Shanks
- 1 Cup Mushrooms sliced
- 2 Stalks Celery finely chopped
- 1 Piece Shallot finely chopped
- 1 Cup White Wine
- 2 Cups Veal Stock
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1/2 Stick Butter cut into half-inch cubes
- 1 Tablespoons Instant Black Coffee
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Season beef shanks with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a pan and sear beef shanks on both sides.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine.
- Combine shallots, celery, mushrooms, seared beef shanks, pan juices, and veal stock in the slow cooker.
- Cook for 8 hours on low.
- Take out the beef shanks and finish the sauce with heavy cream, butter, and instant coffee powder.
- Season with salt and pepper.
This dish will surely be a hit! Perfectly melt-in-your-mouth tender beef shanks, rich mushroom cream gravy, and the slightly bitter espresso balances out all those flavors.
Start by a good seasoning of salt and pepper on those beef shanks. You may use beef short ribs too. Well, any cut of beef, even pork, with the bone in will work. Those bones are essential for a deep-flavored brown stock so stay away from boneless cuts.
You may use a rub of some dried herbs at this point. Oregano, marjoram, or some dried parsley should work. Just keep the flavors subtle so the espresso flavor in the end may well be showcased. Stay away from rosemary, cinnamon, or any other strong-flavored herb or spice.
Heat some butter in a skillet and give those shanks a quick sear. Olive oil should be good too, but I'm using butter because I'm building flavors that would later go well with my cream. Refrain from moving them around in your pan so they'll get a nice flavorful crust.
Refrain from moving them around in your pan so they'll get a nice flavorful crust. Give each side about 2-3 minutes to get all those juices locked in.
Make sure to deglaze your pan with some white wine to get all those stuck flavors loose. Why white wine? We're making a white cream sauce, and deglazing with red wine will ruin the color we're after.
Next, get some shallots, mushrooms, and celery into the slow cooker to flavor your braising stock. Notice that I went for light-colored aromatics. This is because we're finishing the dish with a cream sauce which should be light-colored as well. Adding some carrots or tomato puree would flavor-wise be okay, but will make your cream sauce darker-colored.
Also notice how fine those aromatics are chopped. You'll want them to eventually melt off in your stock, leaving you with a much smoother cream sauce.
Lay the seared beef shanks over the aromatics before pouring in your braising liquid. Depending on the size of your cooking vessel, you'll want just enough wine and stock to come up to about two-thirds the height of your meat. Getting the shanks fully submerged in braising stock would wash away that beautiful brown top crust. Also, it's that combination of dry and wet cooking heat that distinguishes braising from other cooking methods. What we're trying to achieve with braising is a perfectly moist and tender piece of meat with a crisp flavorful crust.
My shanks came out perfectly tender after eight hours on a high heat setting. Carefully take them out and arrange them onto your serving platter so you can work on finishing your cream sauce.
Whisk in heavy cream and your espresso. Adjust the seasoning with some salt and pepper. And finally, whisk in some cold butter nuggets. Those butter nuggets will make your sauce richer, smoother, and add a bit of sheen.
These beef shanks are really tender and flavorful. That mushroom-espresso cream sauce added a very complementing richness.
Ingredients
- 1 Kilogram Beef Shanks
- 1 Cup Mushrooms sliced
- 2 Stalks Celery finely chopped
- 1 Piece Shallot finely chopped
- 1 Cup White Wine
- 2 Cups Veal Stock
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- 1/2 Stick Butter cut into half-inch cubes
- 1 Tablespoons Instant Black Coffee
- Salt
- Pepper
Instructions
- Season beef shanks with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a pan and sear beef shanks on both sides.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine.
- Combine shallots, celery, mushrooms, seared beef shanks, pan juices, and veal stock in the slow cooker.
- Cook for 8 hours on low.
- Take out the beef shanks and finish the sauce with heavy cream, butter, and instant coffee powder.
- Season with salt and pepper.
Slow Cooker Tom Yum Goong
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