Beef Shanks: It's just not for soups and stews anymore. Smoked and Pulled Beef Shank with better Q

[fwismoker]

Nice work. I've thought of flavor boiling them for an hour to break them down and render the fat out. Then smoke em good! Looks like a successful smoke!

Thanks.. I couldn't get myself to boil, did think about it though lol. If you're smoker gets low heat it'll work for sure.

That looks great!

Thanks!

I was not sure what to do with these other than make soup. Great idea!

Thanks King.. Not looking good on coming up to Michigan.. Sure wish I could!

 

[reinhard]

Well today while i was shopping [i do all the cooking], guess what, i found some sliced shanks. Picked up a nice pack of two. 3.49lb. Put them in the freezer and i will do them soon on a long smoke/grill day.  I think the reason people like myself never tried to grill these cuts is because most people have been told they are  for soups and stews by people like me [retired butcher]LOL.

Years ago when i stared in the buisness we cut nothing but hanging beef. Lot's of bone in items including shanks, neck bones, soup bones. Bone in arm roast, chuck roast, and bread and butter roasts [arm roast with those tasty ribs hanging on the bottom].  As time went on hanging beef left for the most part and boxed beef came in.  Bone-in beef roast gradualy dissapeared [although some places still have a few on display, cut from boxed beef] and boneless beef roasts have the great majority of the shelf space. It's mostly about labor costs.

So people have come accustomed to boneless items generaly and the old fashion ways of cooking also gradualy drifted away. Not by all, but for the most part. Congradulations to FWLsmoker for breaking ground in new ways of preparing a piece of meat that 99.9 percent of folks thought was for soups or stews only. Reinhard

 

[foamheart]

And the best part is they're cheap!! Looks like a great meal. I bet oxtails would work much the same way. The grocery store in my neighborhood usually has one or the other for around $.99 a pound.

I don't know about your house but here someone told the butchers that oxtail like flank steak was good to eat. so now if you find any its usually about the same as sirloin.

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[fwismoker]

I don't know about your house but here someone told the butchers that oxtail like flank steak was good to eat. so now if you find any its usually about the same as sirloin.

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I checked today on the oxtail.. 2. 20 lb. Not sure if that's high or not.

 

[foamheart]

LOL.. Oxtail here runs 5.99/lb

 

[mdboatbum]

LOL.. Oxtail here runs 5.99/lb

I'll have to go look. Maybe I'm confusing oxtail with neck bones, but I thought the last time I saw it it was really cheap. Next time I'm there I'll check.

 

[foamheart]

They used to be cheap, so did flank, and wings then someone figured a way to make 'em popular and the prices went thru the roof. On sale I get chickens for .99/lb, and on sale chicken wings are 2.59/lb. Lucy, you got some 'splainin to do!

 

[reinhard]

Two wings per bird and not only popular at home but at resturants.  You can probably buy whole oxtails by the box. The one's we used to cut up came in smaller boxes of 10 to 15 pounds.  Only problem is that two thirds of the tail is meaty but the rest can be used for stock [soups] along with the meaty parts.  Most are sold cryovaced now and you do get the meaty part of the tail mainly. Some small meat shops and some stores do still cut them by hand. Yes around here they are around 5 bucks a pound as well. Reinhard

 

[fwismoker]

I'll have to go look. Maybe I'm confusing oxtail with neck bones, but I thought the last time I saw it it was really cheap. Next time I'm there I'll check.

The oxtail looks like a spin wheel.. definitely a unique look. I'm going to give it a whirl, smoke it braise it and part goes to pull and part possibly to soup. Love experimenting!

 

[fwismoker]

Making stew with it after some smoke sounds good also.

 

[snorkelinggirl]

Making stew with it after some smoke sounds good also.

Since you haven't cooked oxtail before I'll just let you know...you definitely need to braise for quite a while until the meat is very easily pulled away from the bones (it takes 4-5 hours of braising).  Everything except the bones can be eaten, including the tendons which will get soft and gelatinous if you braise the oxtail long enough.  The meat is tucked up all around the bones, so it is easiest if you use your hands to pull the meat away.  If you need a knife, you didn't braise them long enough! 

Have fun! 

Clarissa

 

[fwismoker]

Clarissa no problem.. You saw how long the shanks took, I'm patient lol. I'm really looking forward to doing beef gravy from the drippings and making the shank more of a roast beef with gravy. Mmmmmm I love me some beef some thick home made beef gravy!

 

[foamheart]

Oxtail = the richest beef stock, makes the most excellent beef barley veggie soup. Hocks for pork, Turkey necks are the same for fowl broth, and of course my butcher laughs whenever she hears me ask for some.

 

[smokinhusker]

Oxtail = the richest beef stock, makes the most excellent beef barley veggie soup. Hocks for pork, Turkey necks are the same for fowl broth, and of course my butcher laughs whenever she hears me ask for some.

When I can get them for less than $4.00 lb, I buy lots cause they make the best stock. I add them to Chef Jimmy's Smoky Au Jus!

 

[fwismoker]

When I can get them for less than $4.00 lb, I buy lots cause they make the best stock. I add them to Chef Jimmy's Smoky Au Jus!

Alesia if I make stock about how much can I make per oxtail?

 

[Bearcarver]

I don't know how this thread avoided me for 3 days, but those Sammies look AWESOME!!!

Looking Very Tasty!!!

Bear

 

[bdskelly]

FWI

Very informative. A great post on a piece of meat that otherwise would be passed by. I just might take a swing at shank myself.  Thanks for the info Pal. Brian

 

[fwismoker]

FWI
Very informative. A great post on a piece of meat that otherwise would be passed by. I just might take a swing at shank myself.  Thanks for the info Pal. Brian

Thanks Brian, next time I'm doing it the same way except I'm trying a beef gravy from the drippings like roast beef in gravy.. Sounds good with mashed potatoes. Mmmm

I don't know how this thread avoided me for 3 days, but those Sammies look AWESOME!!!

Looking Very Tasty!!!


Bear

Thanks Bear, just wanted to try something different

 

[suie]

Wow, those sammies look great!! Always love hearing about new things to cook on the smoker!

I'm curious what the flavor of the meat was like? Some shanks I've had before were kind of funky but maybe that's just the way they were prepared. Is it similar to a brisket or chuck roast?

Suie

 

[fwismoker]

Wow, those sammies look great!! Always love hearing about new things to cook on the smoker!

I'm curious what the flavor of the meat was like? Some shanks I've had before were kind of funky but maybe that's just the way they were prepared. Is it similar to a brisket or chuck roast?

Suie

I'd have to say chuck roast. Some folks have have boiled them, is that what you did?