Beef Shank

Beef Shanks + slow, moist cooking = unbelievably good one-dish meals.

Remember the basics of shopping for meat: The richest flavor comes from cuts that combine heavily exercised muscles with bone and fat. However, these cuts need to be cooked slow and moist to make the meat fall-off-the-bone tender and melt away the fat while leaving behind the flavor. Now let's apply that lesson to beef shanks.

The leg muscles get used with every step the calf takes, the bone in the center of the cut is full of flavorful marrow, and the whole thing is encircled by a thin fat cap -- everything you need to create a flavor explosion. Now here's what you do to turn this promising economy cut into culinary dynamite:

Brown the shanks in hot oil in a large casserole. Add broth, root vegetables, tomato sauce, red wine, and herbs. Bring to a boil. Move to 350F oven for 3 hours or until meat falls off bone. Remove the bones and serve in a bowl, over a starch of your choice: grits, rice, mashed potatoes, polenta, or cornbread.