Braised Fullblood Wagyu Shank with Ricotta Gnocchi

Directions

1. Tools - Crock Pot, Large Stainless Steel Sauté Pan, Large Sauce Pot, Stick Blender or Blender
2. FIRST STEP Pull the Fullblood Wagyu beef shanks from the freezer, and place them in the refrigerator (to thaw) 24 hours before starting this recipe.
3. PREPARING THE CROCK POT Heat a large stainless steel sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add in enough grapeseed oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the Fullblood Wagyu beef shanks with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Once the oil is hot, sear off the beef shanks for 3 minutes per side or until they have deep caramelization. Once you’ve seared all three beef shanks on both sides, place them into the crock pot. In the same pan you used to sear the beef shanks, sauté the diced carrots, celery, leeks, and yellow onions for 5 minutes. Add in the red wine, and reduce down for 5 minutes. Once almost all of the wine is reduced, add in the smashed garlic, 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, and beef stock. Heat for 5 minutes. Once heated, pour all of the contents (from the pan) over the Fullblood Wagyu beef shanks in the crock pot. Purée the chipotle in your blender. Then, add the sun-dried tomatoes, Italian tomatoes, and puréed chipotle to the crock pot. Add in the sprigs of fresh thyme. Set the crock pot on low, and braise the Fullblood Wagyu beef shanks for 8 hours.
4. PREPARING THE SHREDDED BEEF AND SMOKY TOMATO SAUCE Once cooked, remove the Fullblood Wagyu beef shanks from the crock pot, and discard the bones. Using two forks, shred the beef. Also, discard the thyme sprigs. Transfer the braising liquid to a large stock pot. Reduce on medium heat, while stirring occasionally, until the liquid has thickened (usually takes about 20 minutes). Let the sauce cool a bit. Using a stick blender or a blender, carefully blend the sauce until smooth. Add in the sherry vinegar, and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the shredded Fullblood Wagyu beef shanks to the blended sauce.
5. PREPARING THE RICOTTA GNOCCHI Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 3 tablespoons of salt to it. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add in the ricotta cheese and shredded parmesan. Mix to combine. Add in the flour. The mixture will form a slightly sticky dough. Divide the dough into 2 portions, and roll out into 1-inch logs (on a floured surface). Cut the logs into 1-inch or bite-size pieces. Using a fork dipped in flour, gently roll the fork over each gnocchi, leaving the indents from the fork in the dough. Once the gnocchi are all formed, boil them off in 2-3 batches. The water must be boiling. They will float to the top when they are done. Use a slotted spoon, transfer the gnocchi to a cookie sheet. Carefully and lightly coat them in olive oil. Heat a large stainless steel sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add in 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) of unsalted butter and 1 sprig of sage leaves. Once the butter is melted and bubbling, add in enough gnocchi to just cover the bottom of the pan. Once the gnocchi start to brown, shake the pan and brown the other side. Working in batches, do the same thing until all the gnocchi are sautéed.
6. FINAL STEPS Place the ricotta gnocchi on a large platter. Top with the shredded Fullblood Wagyu beef in the smoky tomato sauce. Serve, and enjoy!