Braised Summer Pork Shank (Adaptable For Any Season)

Prep: 20 mins

Cook: 150 mins

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 4 Servings

It seems like Boston butts and pork shoulders get all the slow-cooking love these days, but there’s another kid in town that gets dinner on the table in much less time, and still has all that budget-conscious, fall-off-the bone goodness. A pork shank begs for a braise, too, but unlike the larger cuts of pork we usually talk about, this one won’t take all day to cook and can be done in a smaller pot.

Ingredients

2 pork shanks (about 3 pounds total)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 fennel bulb, ferny tops and root end removed, sliced crosswise
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/4 cup loosely packed freshly chopped Italian parsley, basil, or a combination, divided
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300°F.
If the pork has a thick layer of fat, make cross-hatch cuts with a very sharp knife, deep enough to just split the skin.
Warm the oil over high heat in a 4-quart Dutch oven. Add the pork and cook a minute or two on each side until browned, turning carefully with tongs. Remove and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium, then sauté the garlic and fennel with a pinch of salt until garlic begins to show color. Add the pork back to the pot, pour over the tomatoes, wine and chili flakes. Cover tightly with a lid or a layer of foil, and transfer to the oven.
Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, turning the meat after 30 minutes. In the last 20 minutes of cooking, uncover the meat, turn it again, and raise the oven temperature to 450°F. The pork is done when the meat pulls easily away from the bone. Divide each shank and its sauce between two large shallow bowls and top with chopped fresh herbs, salt, and pepper. Serve with rice or big hunks of crusty bread and butter.