Beef Shank Stew
Hey all! I’ve been MIA for a while, now that I’m working full time, but I’ve still been cooking. I just haven’t had time to document it all! My schedule is settling down a bit and I’d love to get back into sharing recipes with you, starting with this delicious Beef Shank Stew.
Simplify
I love to simplify my meals. Meat, eggs, some veg, some carbs. Done. Add in a nourishing broth and I’m all set. I’ve been focusing on meals that are easy to prep in advance. Half the time I’m throwing things in the crock pot before leaving for work in the morning, and this stew is definitely on the five minutes or less meal prep list.
Health Benefits
I’ve been going through the GAPS diet along with the Animal Based Diet to heal some ongoing gut issues, and it has been working quite well. This recipe is in line with both diets. It has nourishing beef shanks, well cooked carrots and squash, herbs, salt, and is finished with apple cider vinegar. These ingredients help to heal the gut lining with well cooked meat, easy to digest vegetables, a collagen rich broth, and probiotic apple cider vinegar. I have some version of this stew (using different meats and vegetables) throughout the week, and I have certainly noticed a difference in how I feel!
Recipe Notes
Feel free to swap out the carrots and butternut squash for any other root or winter vegetables. Same with the herbs. For the meat, you do want to use bone-in fatty meat, since that’s what gives the broth it’s rich flavor. Ox tail would work well, as would beef soup bones or ribs.
The final broth will be very rich. If you like, you can ladle some out broth and strain it into a jar for use in cooking future soups or even browning ground beef. If you do this, add a little bit of filtered water to stretch the final stew, along with extra salt. Finish with apple cider vinegar for probiotics.
To make this meal go even further and feed a crowd, consider serving it with Seeded Sourdough Rolls and/or a hearty salad.
Other Favorite Soups and Stews
Slow Cooker Beef Shank Stew
Equipment
- VitaClay cooker or slow cooker Use VitaClay for lower histamine
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. beef shanks
- 3 carrots peeled and sliced
- 1/2 butternut squash peeled, seeded, and diced
- 1 sprig rosemary, minced or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 5 leaves sage or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar plus extra for finishing
- 1 tsp. salt plus extra for finishing
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to VitaClay or slow cooker. For VitaClay, choose the "stew" setting to slow cook for two hours. For a slow cooker, cook on low for 8 hours.
- The resulting broth will be full of nourishing fats. Sometimes I ladle out some broth and strain it into a jar for future soups and stews and thin the remaining broth with some water. It's up to you how you like your final broth. Finish with extra salt and/or apple cider vinegar to taste.
- This stew pairs well with sourdough rolls or rice. Serve a light vegetable on the side if you like, such as a salad or peas.
