Smoky Stout Braised Wagyu Whole Shank With Creamy Polenta Recipes

STOUT-BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large, wide pot over medium-high heat until the oil begins to smoke. Brown the lamb shanks in the hot oil on all sides until well browned, about 10 minutes. Remove lamb shanks and set aside. Pour the excess grease from the Dutch oven, reduce heat to medium, and stir in the onions and garlic. Cook and stir until the onions have softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrots, celery, and tomato paste; continue cooking 5 minutes more.
• Return the lamb shanks to the Dutch oven, and pour in the stout beer and beef broth. Bring to a simmer over high heat. While you're waiting for the beer to simmer, use kitchen twine to tie together the thyme sprigs, parsley sprigs, and bay leaf into a secure bundle; add to the lamb shanks.
• Once the lamb shanks begin to simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lamb is very tender and nearly falling off of the bone, 2 to 3 hours. Stir the lamb occasionally as it cooks, and add water if needed to keep the cooking liquid from becoming too thick. You want the cooking liquid to have reduced into a nice sauce by the time the lamb shanks are done. Stir in the rosemary sprig, and salt and pepper to taste during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove rosemary sprig and herb bundle before serving.

MEDITERRANEAN LAMB SHANKS WITH CREAMY POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large ovenproof pot over high heat. Add lamb; brown on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Using tongs, transfer lamb to plate. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pot. Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic. Sauté until vegetables brown and begin to soften, scraping up browned bits, about 10 minutes. Return lamb to pot, pushing gently into vegetables. Add tomatoes, broth, rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs, and peppercorns. Bring to boil over high heat. Cover pot; transfer to oven. Roast until meat is tender and pulls easily from bone, turning occasionally, about 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, bring 8 cups water and salt to boil in large saucepan over high heat. Gradually whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer until thickened and tender, stirring frequently, about 22 minutes. Whisk in butter and minced thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
• Remove lamb and herbs from pot; discard herbs. Place pot over medium-high heat and boil until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Divide polenta among 6 large bowls; top each with 1 lamb shank. Pour sauce over; serve.

SMOKY STOUT-BRAISED WAGYU WHOLE SHANK WITH CREAMY POLENTA

Steps:

• PREPARING THE RUB: Mix all of the rub ingredients (ancho chile powder, smoked paprika, kosher salt, granulated garlic, ground cumin, ground coriander, Aleppo pepper, oregano, and dark brown sugar) together in a small bowl. This is your rub. Spread the rub onto a baking sheet. Place the Fullblood Wagyu boneless whole shank (unfolded) on top of the rub, and cover the meat with the rub. Once the shank is completely coated in the rub, cover it and refrigerate for 24-48 hours.Pull the shank from the refrigerator, and cut it into 3-inch pieces.NOTE: You can leave the shank whole but it will take much longer to cook (approximately 10 hours). Chef suggests cut-ting it into smaller pieces.
• PREPARING THE BRAISED FULLBLOOD WAGYU SHANK: Preheat the oven to 280°F. In a large roasting pan, add the peeled and diced shallots, peeled and diced carrots, whole garlic heads (tops trimmed off), fire roasted diced tomatoes, beef stock, stout beer, leeks (white parts cut into half-inch-thick coins), and sprigs of thyme. Place the pieces of Fullblood Wagyu shank into the liquid. Cover the roasting pan with aluminum foil. Place the roasting pan in the oven, and braise the shank for 6 hours. Pull the roasting pan carefully from the oven, and pull out the pieces of shank. Place the braising liquid in a large stainless steel saucepan, and reduce on high heat until you have 3 cups of liquid left. This will take 20-25 minutes. While the liquid is reducing, make the polenta.
• PREPARING THE POLENTA: In a medium size saucepan, melt the butter and add in the minced yellow onion. Cook until the onion is translucent, and fold in the minced garlic. Add in the milk, and bring to a simmer. Once the milk is at a simmer, whisk in the polenta (corn grits). Stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 15 minutes or until the polenta is soft and creamy. Add in the heavy cream and shredded parmesan cheese. Season to taste with kosher salt.
• FINAL STEPS: Once the braising liquid is reduced to 3 cups, strain the liquid through a mesh strainer into a saucepan. Mix together the cornstarch and water for the slurry. Then, whisk the slurry into the pot. Heat on medium heat until the sauce has thickened. Then, turn off the heat, and season the sauce to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.Shred the braised shank into bite-size pieces, and mix the beef into the sauce. Place the creamy polenta on a large platter.Top with the sauce-covered pieces of Wagyu shank. Serve warm, and enjoy!