Each cross-cut piece of shank has a ring of meat around a bone full of marrow. The shank is a hard-working muscle with plenty of connective tissue, so it needs time, but slow cooking turns it fork-tender and the marrow melts into the sauce.
For the classic Italian dish, dust the pieces in flour, brown them well in a heavy pot, then braise with onion, carrot, celery, white wine, stock, and tomato for 2 1/2 to 3 hours at a low simmer or in a 325°F oven, until the meat pulls away from the bone. Finish with gremolata (lemon zest, parsley, and garlic) and serve over risotto or polenta. The same cut makes a rich base for beef and barley soup or vegetable soup.
From Carter Ranch. Our cattle are 100% grass-fed and grass-finished, raised 4-8 years on native grasses in the Big Horn Mountains near Ten Sleep, Wyoming.
We call it double-aged: the animal and the beef. Our cattle are 4 to 8 years old, and every steak and roast is wet-aged 30 days before freezing. That is what makes mature beef tender.