Cheap Foods, Expensive Cooking: Sous Vide Shank

Shank cooked in the sous vide yields savory flesh and preserves the marrow (on the right of the picture). (photo by Joachim)

I got two lovely shank slices for $2 total, added a bit of seasoning, and let Kameko-san (the sous vide) cook them at 60C/140F for a day and a half. They could have gone a day longer, but I didn't want to wait. Then I finished them under the broiler for 4 minutes a side to darken and crisp the edges. The result was flavorful meat with almost all of the tendon and connective tissues that give shank its character (and make it a cheap cut of meat) tender enough to be enjoyed. As a bonus, the sous vide cooks at such a low temperature that the marrow was still intact, ready to be spooned out and spread like sauce over the flesh.

Sonja, Kitchen Goddess in Training, awaits her tithe. (photo by Joachim)

Sonja, Kitchen Goddess in Training, accepted the tithe of the remaining bones and dragged them approvingly all over, making a greasy mess of the kitchen floor. Good kitty.