Guinness & Harissa Braised Beef Shanks 🍺

For any beginner cooks out there or foodies wanting a solid braised beef dish. This is the Bentley dish of braised beef’s! 
You can’t go wrong with Beef Shanks / San Marzano Tomatoes / Guinness & Harissa. One pot cooking, that’s what I’m talking about! 👨🍳👊.

Beef shank marinade

2 beef shanks
3 tablespoons harissa paste
2 oranges, juiced and zested
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped

For cooking the shanks
3 tablespoons flour
5 shallots, roughly chopped
1, 12oz can san marzano tomatoes 
4 litres beef stock
2 pints Guinness
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablespoon ground black pepper

Marinating the beef shanks
Mix the harissa paste with the thyme, orange juice and zest. Then pour over the beef shanks, use a zip lock bag if you have one. Marinate in the fridge overnight or preferably two days.
 
Beef shanks
Using a large dinner plate, place the flour onto the plate with a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Place the beef shanks onto this mix and coat on both sides. Using a large oven proof deep skillet on medium heat, add a good glug of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter, when the butter is foaming add the beef shanks. 

Leave the beef shanks as they are and wait until you see a nice brown char mark around the edges of the shank “roughly 4 minutes” then turn them over and add the shallots. When the shallots are slightly brown add the Guinness, beef stock and san marzano tomatoes. Give the pan a good stir then cover the skillet and braise in the oven at 145°c/300°f for 4 hours. 

Using a spatula, take out the shanks and set aside, puree the braising sauce then place the shanks back in the sauce and serve with a pint of Guinness 😁🍺👊