Craving a dish that’s a showstopper for gatherings or just a cozy Sunday meal with friends? This braised pork shanks recipe with Vegetables and Celeriac Puree ticks all the boxes. Slow-cooked to perfection with a medley of veggies and paired with a luscious celeriac puree, it’s a feast fit for any occasion. Best savored during colder months, it warms both the heart and the belly.
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Recipe Origin and History
Braised pork shanks recipes have a rich culinary history, often associated with celebratory feasts such as Christmas, or hearty family dinners. The slow-cooking method infuses the meat with incredible flavors while making it tender and succulent. Paired with veggies and a silky celeriac puree, this recipe elevates the traditional braised pork to a whole new level.
Nutrition Facts & Serving Tips
Pork shanks offer a good protein punch, while the veggies and celeriac puree bring in essential nutrients and vitamins. This dish, while indulgent, can fit into various diets with a few tweaks. For a lower-calorie option, consider using low-fat milk and reducing the oil in the recipe.
Serve it family-style on a large platter, placing the succulent pork shanks at the center surrounded by the flavorful veggie medley and a generous dollop of celeriac puree.
Cooking Ingredients for Braised Pork Shanks
First things first, prep your ingredients. Pork shanks, veggies, and aromatic spices are the stars here. The meat, bathed in orange juice and meat broth, absorbs all those flavors during its slow bake in the oven. The veggies, sautéed with fragrant spices, complement the shanks perfectly.
And the celeriac puree? Creamy, dreamy goodness, made by simmering celeriac, leek, and potato in a mix of milk and cream until tender, then blended to velvety perfection.
Let’s dive deeper into the ingredients for this braised pork shanks recipe and explore their roles in creating this delicious dish.
Pork Shanks: These meaty portions, without the skin, weigh around 1300-1500 grams each. They are the stars of the dish, absorbing flavors from the orange juice and meat broth as they slow-cook in the oven. The slow cooking process ensures the meat becomes tender and succulent, perfect for a hearty meal.
Dry Onion: Sliced thinly, this ingredient adds a robust, savory flavor to the dish. It caramelizes beautifully as it cooks with the pork shanks and other veggies, enhancing the overall taste.
Celery: Finely chopped and cleaned, this vegetable adds a refreshing, aromatic note to the dish. It complements the pork’s richness, adding a layer of complexity to the flavors.
Carrots: Chopped finely, these sweet vegetables balance the savory flavors of the dish. They also add a vibrant color and a touch of natural sweetness.
Sweet Paprika: This spice not only brings a hint of smokiness but also adds depth and color to both the meat and the vegetables.
Natural Orange Juice: Adds a delightful citrusy tang to the pork, infusing it with a bright, refreshing flavor.
Meat Broth: Provides a rich, savory base for the dish, ensuring the pork remains juicy and flavorful as it cooks slowly.
Curry Powder: Infuses the dish with warm, aromatic flavors that complement the pork and veggies.
Fresh Thyme or Oregano: These herbs contribute aromatic, earthy notes to the dish, enhancing its overall aroma and taste.
Olive Oil: Used for sautéing and searing, it adds a delicate richness to the dish.
Salt and Pepper: Essential for seasoning, these spices bring out the flavors of the ingredients and balance the dish’s taste.
For the garnish:
Leek: Finely chopped, this vegetable adds a mild, sweet onion-like flavor to the garnish, blending beautifully with the other veggies.
Dry White Wine: Enhances the flavors of the vegetables, imparting a subtle acidity and depth to the dish.
For the celeriac puree:
Potato: Along with celeriac and leek, the potato helps create a creamy, luxurious puree. It adds body and texture to the dish.
Fresh Cow’s Milk: Contributes to the smoothness and richness of the puree.
Low-fat Cream: Adds a creamy consistency to the puree without being overly heavy.
Nutmeg: Grated nutmeg brings warmth and depth to the celeriac puree, enhancing its overall flavor profile.
These ingredients come together to create a symphony of flavors, textures, and aromas, making this braised pork shanks recipe a delightful experience for any mealtime occasion.
How to cook Braised Pork Shanks Recipe with Vegetables and Celeriac Puree
Let’s dive deeper into the steps to prepare this flavorful braised pork shanks recipe.
Preparation: Begin by preheating your oven to 320°F (160°C). Ensure the pork shanks are dry, then season them generously with salt and pepper. This initial seasoning helps to enhance the flavors as the meat cooks.
Searing the Pork Shanks: In a wide saucepan over medium-high heat, add a drizzle of olive oil. Once the oil is hot, carefully sear the pork shanks on all sides until they develop a beautiful golden-brown crust. This step seals in the juices and adds a rich caramelized flavor to the meat. After achieving a lovely sear, transfer the shanks to a deep oven-safe dish.
Preparing the Flavor Base: Using the same pan used for searing the pork, add a touch more olive oil if needed. Sauté the thinly sliced onions, finely chopped celery, and carrots along with the sweet paprika, curry powder, a pinch of salt, and a dash of pepper. Allow these aromatic ingredients to soften and caramelize, releasing their flavors and creating a savory base.
Infusing the Ingredients: Once the veggies have softened and developed a golden hue, carefully transfer them around the pork shanks in the oven-safe dish. Pour in the natural orange juice and meat broth, ensuring that the vegetables are mostly covered by the liquid. If needed, add a little water to supplement the stock. Add fresh thyme or oregano sprigs to infuse the dish with aromatic herbal notes.
Slow-Baking Process: Cover the oven-safe dish with a lid and place it in the preheated oven. Let it bake slowly for about 3 hours. This slow-cooking process allows the flavors to meld together, the meat to become incredibly tender, and the veggies to soak up all the delicious juices.
Creating the Garnish: While the pork shanks are baking, prepare the garnish. In a non-stick pan over medium heat, sauté the sliced carrots, celeriac, leek, and celery with a drizzle of olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Add a splash of dry white wine to the pan and incorporate some of the vegetable stock extracted from the cooked vegetables to infuse the garnish with rich flavors. Let it simmer gently until the veggies soften and blend their flavors.
Making the Celeriac Puree: In a tall, heavy-bottomed pot, combine the celeriac cubes, finely chopped leek, potato slices, fresh cow’s milk, low-fat cream, grated nutmeg, and a touch of salt. Cook the vegetables over medium heat until they become tender. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Once cooked, use a stick blender to puree the vegetables until smooth, creating a luscious, creamy celeriac puree.
Assembling and Serving: To serve, carefully place the cooked pork shanks at the center of a large platter. Surround them with the flavorful vegetable garnish, arranged aesthetically. Serve generous dollops of the velvety celeriac puree alongside the shanks and veggies.
These detailed steps ensure each ingredient contributes its unique flavor, resulting in a dish that’s not just delicious but an experience to savor.
Enjoying your dish
Cooking and savoring this braised pork shanks dish is an experience in itself. The aroma that fills your kitchen as it bakes slowly is enough to make your mouth water. As you slice through the tender pork shank, accompanied by the vibrant veggies and velvety celeriac puree, every bite is a delicious journey of flavors and textures that you and your guests won’t soon forget.
Braised Pork Shanks Recipe with Veggie Medley & Celeriac Puree
Ingredients
Ingredients for the pork shanks:
- 2 piece pork shanks without the skin (1300 g - 1500 g per shank)
- 200 grams dry onion cut into thin slices
- 150 grams celery finely chopped without the leaves and cleaned of the outer fibres
- 100 grams carrots finely chopped
- 100 grams sweet paprika
- 2 piece orange juice
- 850 grams meat broth
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 2 twigs fresh thyme or fresh oregano
- 100 ml olive oil
- salt
- freshly ground pepper
Ingredients for the garnish:
- 200 grams carrots cut into medium slices
- 200 grams celeriac cut in medium slices
- 200 grams leek cut into medium slices
- 200 grams celery cleaned of its outer fibres and cut into medium slices
- 1/2 glass dry white wine
- 50 grams olive oil
- salt
- freshly ground pepper
Ingredients for the celeriac puree:
- 500 grams celeriac peeled and cut into large cubes
- 100 grams leek only the white part, finely chopped
- 1 piece potato medium-sized, peeled and cut into large squares
- 500 grams fresh cow milk
- 500 grams low fat cream
- 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160℃ degrees (320℉).
- Wash the shanks, dry them very well with paper towels and add salt and pepper.
- In a wide saucepan and once hot, add the olive oil and sauté the pork shanks very well on all sides until they turn pink and then place them in a deep oven-safe pan.
- In the same pan, add a little more olive oil and sauté the vegetables along with the curry and sweet paprika, a little salt and a little pepper until they soften and turn golden brown.
- Add the vegetables to the pan around the pork shanks and add the orange juice along with the meat stock and thyme. Make sure to cover the vegetables with the stock and add a little water if needed to supplement.
- Cover the pan with the lid and bake for 3 hours. After 2 hours check if there is any broth in the vegetables.
- When the pork shanks are ready, remove them to a platter and keep them warm covered with non-stick paper and foil.
- Put the vegetables in a tall colander and press with a mash press to get as much stock as you can to make the garnish.
For the garnish:
- In a non-stick pan and once hot, add olive oil and sauté the vegetables with a little salt until they turn golden brown.
- Add the wine and add the vegetable stock that you have taken from the cooked vegetables in the pan and leave over a low heat to soften and blend the flavours together.
For the celeriac puree:
- In a heavy-bottomed tall pot, add the celery, leek, potato, milk, cream, nutmeg and a little salt and cook the vegetables over medium heat until tender. Stir periodically with a wooden spoon and be careful not to let the vegetables stick to the pot.
- When the vegetables are cooked, puree them with a stick blender and put the puree in a large bowl.
To assemble:
- Place the cooked pork shanks in the center of a large platter and around the center add the garnish you prepared and serve with the celery puree.
Notes
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