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Asian Style Volcano Shank

By Saskia Poulos, Chef and Organic Farm Assistant at the Oak Spring Garden Foundation

This dish is inspired by Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup, a dish I learned about while working at TaoYuan, one of the best Asian influenced restaurants in the country.  The Asian ingredients listed in the recipe are all readily available at Asian markets, but the substitutions will yield delicious results with the proper flavor profile as well.  Serve with a nice watery vegetable to offset the richness, like bok choy.

 
Chapel Hill Asian Style Volcano Shank 1.jpg
 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Chapel Hill Volcano Shank (about 4-4.5 lbs)

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1 teaspoon black pepper

  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil (like canola), divided

  • 1 large onion, julienned

  • 3 cloves garlic, rough chopped

  • 2 thumbs ginger, smashed with the back of a knife

  • 2 star anise

  • 1 cinnamon stick

  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

  • 1 teaspoon chili paste (sambal, Calabrian chili paste), or 1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes

  • 3 tablespoons Shaoxing (Chinese cooking wine), or sherry

  • 1 tablespoon sugar

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon molasses

  • 4 strips of orange peel, taken with a sharp peeler

  • Thai basil, cilantro, scallions (about one packed cup of herbs) and orange supremes cut into thirds (from the zested orange) to garnish

PREPARATION

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 F.

  2. Salt the volcano shank on all sides, making sure you season the ends as well.  Season with black pepper.

  3. Heat a heavy lidded pot, like a Dutch oven, over a medium-high flame.  Sear the volcano shank on all sides with two tablespoons of oil until golden brown.  Remove the shank and transfer to a plate.  Add the onion into the pan.  Cook until the onion begins to pick up color, about five minutes.  Add the garlic and ginger to the pan, and cook until aromatic and the garlic is no longer raw, about 3 minutes.  Use the additional oil if your pan seems dry. 

  4. Add the spices, toasting one minute to release their aroma.  Add the sugar, molasses, and deglaze with the Shaoxing/ sherry, scraping any bits on the bottom of the pot. 

  5. Nestle the shank back into the pot, then add stock/ water to reach halfway up the shank.  There should be a meaty side and a less meaty side.  Put the meaty side down.  Add the soy and orange zest, and bring to a boil.  Lid the pot and put it in the oven.

  6. Flip the shank every hour, until the shank is extremely tender and falling off the bone.  This should take about four hours, and you should end with the meaty side up.  If too much liquid evaporates during the cooking process and it seems a bit dry, simply add more water as the shank continues to cook.

  7. Transfer the shank to a serving platter with edges tall enough to catch all the sauce.  This is a gorgeously rich dish, and it needs fresh herbs and citrus to balance all the rich flavors.  Do not skip the garnish, use at least one of the herbs listed, and preferably all three!



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