What to do with beef shanks in summer?

I have a freezer full of beef shanks from my meat CSA, and I'd really like to use them up soon or we'll run out of space, but with the weather in the mid to upper 90s and humid, it's hard to imagine braising and eating beef shanks. Any suggestions for making them summery??

fiveandspice
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9 Comments

fiveandspice
fiveandspice July 17, 2012
Thank you all for these wonderful suggestions! They definitely all make sense inside my head too, and I may even have enough shanks to try all of them, hehe.
 
Darlene C.
Darlene C. July 17, 2012
I just prepped some five spice beef shanks in the crock pot. They make great appetizers cold, sliced thin, with pickled cauliflower or shallots. My husbands favorite way to eat five spice beef is making making mrslarkins scallion pancakes, spread some hoisin sauce, and slivers of green onions, as well as cold sliced five spice beef! Easy quick dinner on a summer night.
 
sexyLAMBCHOPx
sexyLAMBCHOPx July 17, 2012
Sounds wonderful Darlene!
 
Judy
Judy August 8, 2015
This sounds intriguing! I just got a deal on a whole tray of sliced beef shanks for only $1.99/lb. Sounds weird to be braising in the summer but we love Asian cuisine. Why not? I can throw in some grilled scallions and summer squash to add to the summer mood!
 
savorthis
savorthis July 17, 2012
I just did smoke tea country style pork ribs in the pressure cooker, finishing on the grill and it only took 15 minutes on the stove. Granted, there is that huge spew of steam to deal with, but I suppose you could do that outside. :) These curried beef short ribs are great and it would probably be wonderful with shank too: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/curried-beef-short-ribs-10000001879978/. You could do this in the pressure OR slow cooker. I even stooped to putting the slow cooker in my garage last week as it licked 100.
 
ChefJune
ChefJune July 17, 2012
When I saw your question my gut-level response was "I'd freeze them for cooler weather." As much as I adore braised meats, and chili is wonderful, too... In this heat and humidity I can't imagine cooking anything, much less braising meats.

Maybe you have a friend with a larger freezer who could hold them for you until .... oh, October?
 
HalfPint
HalfPint July 17, 2012
Braise in a crockpot and then throw them on the grill. Likewise, you can braise on a grill.

Or you can chop up the meat and make chili.
 
EmilyC
EmilyC July 17, 2012
I like aargersi's suggestions (they make sense in MY head too!), or you could try this barbeque-braising technique that I tagged in Fine Cooking last summer. I haven't tried it yet but it sounds great. http://www.finecooking.com/articles/how-to/barbecue-braising.aspx
 
aargersi
aargersi July 17, 2012
Two non-oven options come to mind - the slow cooker (aka our good friend the crock-pot) and/or a pressure cooker. I would sear them in a skillet and then cook them in one of the above with a simple stock / wine / herb type deal - at the end you could "summer them up" by adding tomatoes and basil, or peaches and lemon verbena and thyme, or corn and basil - I haven't actually tried this mind you but it makes sense in my head!!!
 
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