Submitted by: Mya Zeronis
Servings: 6
Ingredients: 1 ounce canola oil
6 pork leg shanks, about 1 pound each
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 stick cinnamon
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
2 bay leaves
2 thyme sprigs
6 garlic cloves, peeled; crushed
2 ounces tomato paste, divided
3 cups apple cider
3 cups chicken broth
1 large carrot, peeled; 1-inch sliced
2 celery ribs, cut into 2-inch pieces
Instructions: In a deep heavy casserole, heat oil until shimmering. Season pork shanks liberally with salt and pepper. Cook shanks to oil; cook over medium-high heat until browned all over, for about 10 minutes. Remove from pot.
Reset burner temperature to low-medium. Add cinnamon stick, onion, bay leaves, thyme and garlic, one at a time, waiting 30 seconds before adding each in the order listed. Stir in tomato paste.
Add apple cider and broth; bring to a gentle boil. Return shanks to casserole. Tuck the meat into the liquid so that they’re mostly submerged. Cover shanks with the vegetables. Put a lid on; simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is very tender.
Uncover casserole; simmer until liquid is reduced to 2 cups of sauce. Defat the sauce; discard cinnamon stick, bay leaves and thyme stems. Serve shanks with sauce and vegetables.
Merry says
Looks delicious!
GKRN says
I had never purchased this type of meat before and these were fabulous! It needs to cook a few hours to become really, really tender. We dove into them with knife and fork and it was different as we usually de-bone meat (e.g. rotisserie chicken) prior to serving. Quantity allowed for additional meat for a second meal – stew. I will be making these again!
Jo says
When reducing the sauce at the end do you remove the shanks/hocks?
I’m thinking yes so the meat doesn’t dry out and has a chance to rest.