Love the Spectacular Tendon in the Bone-in Beef Shank
Though I still need to perfect my method of preparing bone-in beef shank so that the meat is flavorful and melts in my mouth, I’ll enjoy the gelatinous part for now.
Below are some links to more details, including photos:
My Story
After making pork belly adobo, I was curious to see what other kinds of Filipino adobo dishes there were. As I was researching, I came across the website, Panlasang Pinoy, which I reference whenever I cook chicken adobo.
Inspiring Recipe
The recipe that I found on Vanjo Merano’s Filipino food blog was Adobong Bulalo (Beef Shank Adobo).
First Try
Soon after I found the new recipe, bone-in beef shank was on sale again at my local supermarket for $3.99 per pound! After purchasing some, I was ready to make the dish!
Ingredients to Use
With 3.21 pounds of beef hind shank, I scaled up the remaining ingredients in the default recipe and used the following:
- 1 tablespoon + 1/4 teaspoon of whole peppercorn
- 9 pieces of dried bay leaves
- 15 cloves of garlic
- 2 ounces + 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
- 2 1/2 tablespoons of white vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon + 2/3 teaspoon of granulated white sugar
- 4 cups + 2 ounces + 1 1/3 teaspoons of water
- 3 ounces + 1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil
Steps to Prepare
Of the eight steps in the recipe’s instructions, I only modified the first one by using a pot instead of a pan, so that I could fit all the ingredients.
Also, two of steps had a time range for the activity. Below were my results:
- Step 5 – After simmering for 60 minutes on low heat, I checked the beef, but it wasn’t quite tender, so I continued until it reached a total of 90 minutes.
- Step 6 – Subsequent to stirring the mixture in the pot, I cooked it for a total of 5 minutes.
Time to Eat
I couldn’t wait to try the meat that was already off the bone!
Recipe Rating
Below were the results of the recipe after the first try:
| Number of Ingredients | Effort (Low🤏, Medium🤏🤏, High🤏🤏🤏) | Cost per Serving (<$2💰, $2-5💰💰, >$5💰💰💰) | Taste (Not for me🤔, Trying Again🙂, Eating Regularly😋) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9️⃣* | 🤏 | 💰💰 | 🙂 |
I had a mixed reaction for this beef shank adobo. The meat lacked flavor and some parts of it were chewy, which was not good. However, the tendon was chewy, but that was good. Lastly, the marrow was too rich for me, but the family enjoyed it.
Second Try
During my second try, I wanted to improve the flavor and tenderness of the meat.
Ingredients to Use
Starting with 2.89 pounds of beef hind shank, I used less ingredients than the first time around, as follows:
- 1/2 tablespoon + 1 1/3 teaspoons of whole peppercorn
- 8 pieces of dried bay leaves
- 14 cloves of garlic
- 3 1/2 tablespoons + 1 1/8 teaspoons of soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons + 3/4 teaspoon of white vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon + 1/3 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon of granulated white sugar
- 3 cups + 6 ounces + 1 1/2 tablespoons + 1/3 teaspoon + 1/8 teaspoon of water
- 2 ounces + 1 1/2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon of cooking oil
In addition, I added salt, to taste.
Steps to Prepare
Regarding the process, there were only two differences this time, as follows:
- Step 5 – I added 30 minutes to the simmering time, totaling 2 hours.
- Before Step 7 – I lightly sprinkled salt across the top of the beef shank in the pot twice.
Time to Eat
After making the adjustments for time and flavor, I was ready to try a bigger chunk of beef.
Recipe Rating
Below are the results of the recipe from the second attempt:
| Number of Ingredients | Effort (Low🤏, Medium🤏🤏, High🤏🤏🤏) | Cost per Serving (<$2💰, $2-5💰💰, >$5💰💰💰) | Taste (Not for me🤔, Trying Again🙂, Eating Regularly😋) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1️⃣0️⃣* | 🤏 | 💰💰 | 🙂 |
The meat was definitely softer, but some pieces were too lean. As for the flavor, more salt would probably have been better.
Beef shank isn’t my favorite cut of beef to cook yet, but if it were to go on sale again, I would give it another try. What I would do differently next time is as follows:
Continuous Improvement
- Marinate the beef shank ahead of time.
After making beef shank recently, I was curious if cooking it for more than 2 hours would have made it juicier. What I learned and would like to share with my dumber self is as follows:
Lesson for Dumber Self
- Trust that beef shank requires long cooking time! (According to the FAQ section in the article, Beef Shanks, from the food blog, The Big Man’s World, it can take 3 to 6 hours if cooked in a hearty sauce.)
What will you do now?
Next Step for You
- Try the recipe, Adobong Bulalo (Beef Shank Adobo), from the Filipino food blog, Panlasang Pinoy?
- Share your experience with cooking beef shank?
- Read another post on this site? (Go to the menu at the top of the page.)