Braised Hog Shanks with Dark Beer Gravy
Kelly J Bostian Kelly J Bostian
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 Published On Feb 10, 2024

This is a wild-game use of a recipe for domestic pork shanks from craftbeering.com with very little modification. It tastes great with some mashed potatoes, wild rice, or dressing, and the slow cooking and aromatics make the house smell oh-so-welcoming on a cold winter day.

Learn more about the recipe's origins from the fine folks at CraftBeering at https://www.craftbeering.com/?s=shanks

Here's the recipe:
BRAISED HOG SHANKS WITH DARK BEER GRAVY

INGREDIENTS
Feral Hog (or venison) Shanks (as few as two big ones, or more smaller ones)
2-4 Tbl avocado oil or other high-smoke-point cooking oil
One large onion
Four celery stalks
Four large cloves of garlic
Enough carrots (chopped) to cover the bottom of your pan
One bunch of fresh thyme (or dried leaves)
One bunch of fresh oregano (or dried leaves)
Two fresh bay leaves (or dried)
One cup of beef broth (Better than Boullion optional)
A 12-ounce can of beer (Cabin Boys Bearded Theologian) or your choice of a well-balanced amber, brown ale, porter, or stout that is not "hoppy." (optional: add more beef broth instead)
1 Tbl corn starch for gravy

DIRECTIONS
Wild game shanks store best in a vacuum-sealed bag with a layer of clean fat or membrane left on the shank, so step one is to trim away excess membrane, fat, and silver skin. No need to go overboard, however.
Prep by coarse-chopping onion, celery, garlic, and enough carrots to cover the bottom of your baking pan, be it a roaster, Dutch oven, or 9X13 baking pan.
Preheat your oven to 275 degrees (300 if you want it to go a little faster, but lower/slower is best), and heat a skillet and enough oil to cover the bottom on medium-high heat.
Brown the outer surfaces of the shanks and put them on top of the carrots.
Reduce heat on the skillet and saute the onion and celery until it just begins to become translucent. Add the garlic and saute for another two minutes.
Pour this mixture over the shanks and carrots. Another option is to leave it in the skillet for the next step.
Deglaze the pan with about a quarter cup of the beer, then add the broth, thyme, oregano, bay leaves, and the rest of the beer. Bring the mixture to a boil, then pour it over the shanks.
Seal the baking dish with foil or cover with a tight lid and bake until the shanks are tender. Depending on the pan, the oven, and the size of your shanks, this could take 3 hours or more or as little as 2 ½.
Use a strainer to separate the liquid from the aromatics and carrots into a pot. Set the carrots aside (if some celery, onion, or garlic pieces are mixed in, that's OK).
Use the cornstarch and some broth (or the hot liquid) to create a slurry, add it to the liquid, and simmer until it is thickened to your preference.
Shred the meat off the shanks and serve separately, or add the meat and/or carrots to the gravy.
Serve with a side of mashed potatoes, dressing, or wild rice.

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