Best 3 Braised Pork Shank Recipes

BRAISED PORK SHANK

Steps:

• For the brine: Bring the water to a simmer in a large non-reactive pot. Turn off the heat and add salt, sugar, coriander, peppercorns, rosemary, bay leaf and garlic and bring to a simmer. Whisk until the salt and sugar is dissolved, and then let it cool in the fridge or an ice bath until the brine hits a temperature of 35 degrees F.
• Add the shanks to the cooled brine and weigh down with a plate to ensure that the shanks are completely submerged. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
• After brining, remove the shanks from the brining liquid to a baking sheet lined with a clean kitchen towel to dry off a bit. Discard the brining liquid.
• For the braise: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
• Heat a large Dutch oven or roasting pan over medium-high heat. Pour in enough oil so that it covers the bottom of the Dutch oven or roasting pan completely. Put some flour in a shallow dish. Add a heavy pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper to the flour and whisk to combine. Dredge the shanks in the flour, shaking off the excess, and add them to the pan. In order to get a nice even golden-brown sear, you don't want to overcrowd the pan. (Do this step in two batches if necessary.) Brown the shanks on all sides, a few minutes per side, then remove to a plate while you sear the rest.
• Add the celery, onions, carrots, garlic, rosemary and thyme with a large pinch of salt. Sweat the vegetables until tender, about 5 minutes. Deglaze with the white wine and reduce by three-quarters. Add the apple cider and reduce by half. Add half the chicken stock and bring the braising liquid up to a simmer. Taste it for seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper if necessary. Place the shanks back into the pan; the liquid should go about halfway up the shanks. If it does not, add the rest of the liquid until it reaches the desired half. Put the pan in the oven and cook until the meat is tender, about 200 degrees F when checked with a meat thermometer, 4 to 5 hours.
• Remove the shanks from the oven and carefully transfer the shanks to another large pan. Then strain the braising liquid over the shanks. Cool them in the liquid overnight in the refrigerator.
• The next day, reheat the shanks in their liquid. Then remove them to a large serving platter. Spoon some of the braising liquid over the meat.

BRAISED PORK SHANKS WITH MUSHROOM DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• In a shallow 9 by 9-inch baking dish, add the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix well. Dredge each pork shank into the flour until evenly coated. Shake off excess flour.
• In a large heavy casserole dish or Dutch oven over medium-high heat, add the grapeseed oil. Sear the shanks on all sides until evenly browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the seared shanks to a platter. Add onions, celery, carrots, garlic, rosemary and thyme to the Dutch oven. Cook stirring frequently until vegetables soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the sherry and allow the wine to reduce by half. Stir in the chicken broth and beef stock. Bring to a boil and add the shanks back to pan. Cover and put into the oven. Braise until the meat is fork tender and pulling away from the bones, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Turn oven off. Remove the shanks from the pot and arrange on a quarter sheet tray, cover with foil and keep warm in the oven. Skim off any excess fat and strain liquid into a large mixing bowl, discarding the solids. Put the strained liquid back into the braising pot and bring to a simmer over low heat.
• Sift the flour, salt, garlic powder and pepper into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Combine the butter into flour with your hands until well incorporated. Add the chives and the soup. Mix together well with your hands to form a soft dumpling dough. Drop the dumpling dough by the tablespoonfuls into the strained liquid with an additional 1 cup of chicken stock. Cook the dumplings for 8 to 10 minutes. Arrange the pork shanks on a platter and ladle the sauce and dumplings over top.

CRISPY BRAISED PORK SHANKS

Steps:

• Coat a large pot or Dutch oven with peanut oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, celery and onions. Cook until the vegetables are browned, about 5 minutes. Add the shanks to the pot along with the salt, peppercorns, bay and thyme. Pour in the chicken broth and wine, then add enough water to just barely cover the shanks. Bring to a boil then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Remove the shanks from the pot and set on a wire rack over a sheet tray. Allow the shanks to drain and cool, 25 to 30 minutes. If you have time, you can also place the shanks in the refrigerator, uncovered, for 2 to 3 hours (this will really help dry the outsides of the shanks so that when you fry them they will get super crispy and also won't splatter as much).
• Pat the cooled and drained shanks dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 3 inches of peanut oil in a deep, heavy pot, such as a Dutch oven or tall stock pot, to 350 degrees F. Working in batches, carefully add the shanks to the pot, skin-side down. Cover and leave slightly ajar until the oil settles. Cook, turning once, until the shanks are golden brown and crispy, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain and season with salt. Repeat with the remaining shanks. Serve crispy fried pork shanks with the Fried Caper and Lemon Gremolata and chimichurri sauce if using.
• Place the golden raisins in a bowl of hot water with 1 tablespoon of the honey and gently squeeze them with the back of a spoon to plump them back up. Rehydrate for 2 to 3 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Heat 1/2-inch oil to 350 degrees F in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Fry the capers for 30 to 45 seconds. Drain and set aside.
• Combine the parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, shallots, garlic, remaining 1 tablespoon honey, fried capers and raisins in a mixing bowl and stir. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and set aside to allow the flavors to come together, 10 to 15 minutes.