Cooks Ham Shank Cooking Instructions Recipes

HOW TO BAKE A HAM SHANK

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 160 °C (320 °F). Before you begin preparing the ham shank, set the to oven to heat so that it will be ready when it's time to bake the shank.
• Season the ham shank with your herbs of choice. Lay the entirety of the ham shank out on a chopping board and season with the herbs of your choice. If you're not sure which herbs to use, try a healthy covering of salt, pepper, rosemary, and a minced garlic clove. A pinch of salt, pepper, rosemary, and one minced garlic clove will be enough for a 1 kilogram (2.2 lb) to 2 kilograms (4.4 lb) ham shank. Seasoning is a great way to experiment in a dish. If you've made a ham shank before, try adding different seasonings on at this stage to get a different taste. For example, add Chinese 5 spice for a pungent and fruity flavor. {[convert|1|tsp|cup|}} of the spice will suffice for a typical {[convert|1|kg|lb|}} to {[convert|2|kg|lb|}} ham shank.
• Heat olive oil in an oven-safe pot. Put an oven-safe pot over your stove at a medium heat and add 4 tablespoons (0.25) of olive oil into the pot for every 450 grams (0.99 lb) of ham shank. Heat the oil until it runs like water.
• Brown the ham shank for 15 minutes on all sides. Put the entirety of the seasoned ham shank into the pot and brown on all sides. This will usually take about 15 minutes. Turn it around on all sides with a pair of tongs. Cover the shank in the oil to cook it evenly.
• Chop 1 carrot and 1 onion, then add them to the pot. Chop a carrot with a sharp knife and add it to the pot. Peel the outside layer of the onion and chop the flesh into small pieces, adding it to the pot as well. Push the ham shank to one side so the vegetables can cook faster. Sizzle the carrots and onions on a medium heat for 10 minutes. The onions will have browned. Arrange the vegetables evenly around the pork shank. This is so more flavor will spread during the baking process.
• Add your liquid of choice to the pot. For every 450 grams (0.99 lb) of ham shank in the pot, add 470 millilitres (2.0 c) of your chosen liquid. This can be your favorite beer, wine, broth, stock, water, or a combination. The ingredients you add with the ham shank can drastically change the flavor. If you don't want to mess with the flavor of the shank, add water. However, the liquid you add can add lot of depth to the flavor. For example, add a pinch of coriander to a ham shank boiling in beer.
• Put the lid on the pot and put it in the oven to bake for 90 minutes. Put a tight-fitting lid onto the pot, then slide the entire pot into a preheated oven at 160 °C (320 °F). Don't open the oven during the cooking process as you will lose heat. If you don't have a lid for the pot, you can use tight fitting aluminum foil instead.
• Remove the pot after 90 minutes and turn the ingredients. After 90 minutes have passed, bring the entire pot out of the oven. Using a pair of tongs, turn over all the vegetables and the meat so that the other sides can cook. Then, put the pot back in the oven for another 90 minutes.
• Remove the meat when its internal temperature reads as 65 °C (149 °F). After 3 hours, pierce the meat at its thickest side with a meat thermometer. If the temperature reads as 65 °C (149 °F), the meat is ready. Remove the pot from the oven, peel the meat from the bone and serve it hot on a plate. If the meat hasn't reached the desired internal temperature, return it to the oven. Put the lid back on tight and be patient. It's best to slow cook a ham shank. Keep checking the temperature every 30 minutes. Leftover ham shank should be easy to peel off the bone and into tupperware. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to a week as a tasty filling for sandwiches, or as a protein in a salad.