Description
This recipe for smoked and braised pork shanks will make you the Comfort food King or Queen. Smoking the shanks before braising them adds a whole new level of flavor, and makes the pork gravy amazing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 pork shanks
- 4 TBS Bold BBQ Rub, or your favorite BBQ Seasoning
- 4 TBS Italian Seasoning
- 1 yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 green bell pepper (chopped)
- 2 stalks celery (chopped)
- 1/2 cup shredded or chopped carrots
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 TBS minced garlic
- 3 TBS tomato paste
- 1 TBS worcestershire sauce
- 3–4 bay leaves
- 1/2 bottle full-bodied red wine
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 2 tsp kosher salt (plus to taste)
- 1 tsp black pepper (plus to taste)
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 TBS corn starch
- 2 TBS water
Instructions
- Prepare smoker to run at 275 degrees.
- Season shanks thoroughly with Bold rub, the Italian seasoning. Place on smoker and cook for 1.5 hours
- While shanks are smoking, add olive oil to a thick-bottomed pot on medium-high heat, then add carrots, onions, celery and bell pepper. Cook 5 minutes or until onions are becoming soft. Add garlic and bay leaves, cook for 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook for 3 more minutes. Deglaze pan with red wine and allow to reduce by 1/3. Add salt and pepper and chicken stock. Stir and turn off heat.
- After shanks have smoked for 1.5 hours, put them into a half-sized aluminum pan. Pour braising liquid in pan, add sprigs of thyme, cover with aluminum foil and return to smoker. Cook for an additional 2 to 2.5 hours, or until meat is very tender.
- Remove shanks from liquid and keep warm. Pour braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into your sauce pan. Bring sauce to a boil, the reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Mix corn starch and water, add to sauce and bring back to a boil. Remove from heat.
- Plate shanks and pour gravy over.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: American