This was so savory and delicious, but preparing the meat for this was one of the more intense things I’ve done in the kitchen. I wanted to try it because I remember Chris Cosentino from The Next Iron Chef, and this was an adaptation of one of his recipes. I’ve never worked with beef shanks before, and I couldn’t find the boneless shanks the recipe suggested. So I bought bone-in shanks, just an extra pound to get enough meat. And I’ve now learned that they are extremely messy to get off of the bone and trim. The membrane around the shank is not pleasant, and it took me almost an hour just to do that. But once I had the meat off the bone and trimmed, it was all good. Really good.

Beef Brasato with Mint (April 2010 Food and Wine)

2 3/4 pounds trimmed boneless beef shank, cut into 2-inch pieces
One 750-milliliter bottle dry red wine
15 mint sprigs, stems reserved
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
One 35-ounce can peeled Italian tomatoes, crushed
1 pound fresh pappardelle
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

Read more on Recipe-A-Day Week Vol. IV, Day 5: Beef Brasato with Mint…