Beef Shanks with Orange and Thyme
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
Author: Linnaea Elzinga
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 4-6 beef ossobuco shanks
- About 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (see notes)
- 1 whole head of garlic, with the cloves chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper (omit if on the strict AIP)
- 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
- ¼ cup red wine (see notes)
- 1 cup water, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (see notes for substitutions)
- 1 orange
- About 10 full springs of fresh thyme (don't worry about plucking leaves off—they'll fall off during cooking)
Instructions
- On the stovetop, heat a large frying pan to medium-high heat and add the extra virgin olive oil (you can also use avocado oil for this). Fry the beef shanks in the oil until lightly browned on both sides. You may have to do the shanks in batches if they don't all fit in the stovetop pan.
- Remove the shanks from heat and place in your slow cooker, or, if you prefer to cook in the oven, a Dutch oven or any oven-safe pan that can be covered.
- Put the chopped garlic in the frying pan that is still on the stove and lightly brown the garlic. Add the salt, pepper (if using), molasses, wine, water, and honey. Allow the mixture to come to a slow boil as you slice your orange into 8 slices (leave peels on).
- Place the oranges over the beef shanks, then sprinkle the thyme sprigs on top. Pour the hot water mixture into the slow cooker, then pick the slow cooker up and shake it a bit to get the sauce well mixed with the beef shanks.
- Cover the slow cooker and cook on low or in the oven at 200 degrees F for 6-8 hours until the meat is fall-off the bone tender. If the sauce all cooks away, add a little more water (you're more likely to have to do this in the oven than in the slow cooker since the oven is a bit dryer). Note that the ossobucos won't be completely covered in sauce as they cook, and they should not be. About halfway through cooking, flip the ossobucos that aren't completely covered to allow the sauce to penetrate.
- Serve over quinoa if you can eat that, or with oven roasted veggies (asparagus, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, onions, and mushrooms in photos).
Notes
Substitutions and Notes:
Olive Oil: Check ingredients and processing for soy! Substitutions: Avocado Oil.
Red Wine: Wine is allowed on the AIP diet, especially for cooking (https://www.thepaleomom.com/the-whys-behind-the-autoimmune-protocol-alcohol/), but should be used only in small quantitates. If you're avoiding wine, you can substitute with balsamic vinegar.
Honey: Honey or maple syrup are allowed on the AIP diet (https://www.thepaleomom.com/start-here/the-autoimmune-protocol/) but should only be eaten in small quantities. If you're avoiding honey completely, you can skip it in this recipe. I found it did help with caramelization and to counter the acidity of the orange and wine, but the beef shanks still tasted delicious without it.
Olive Oil: Check ingredients and processing for soy! Substitutions: Avocado Oil.
Red Wine: Wine is allowed on the AIP diet, especially for cooking (https://www.thepaleomom.com/the-whys-behind-the-autoimmune-protocol-alcohol/), but should be used only in small quantitates. If you're avoiding wine, you can substitute with balsamic vinegar.
Honey: Honey or maple syrup are allowed on the AIP diet (https://www.thepaleomom.com/start-here/the-autoimmune-protocol/) but should only be eaten in small quantities. If you're avoiding honey completely, you can skip it in this recipe. I found it did help with caramelization and to counter the acidity of the orange and wine, but the beef shanks still tasted delicious without it.
Recipe by Zesty Paleo at https://zestypaleo.com/aip-beef-shanks-ossobuco-orange-thyme/