Slow Cooked Beef Shin Thyme (Printable Version)
Hearty beef shin braised slowly with thyme and carrots, delivering rich flavors and tender texture.
# What You Need:
→ Meat
01 - 2.65 pounds beef shin, cut into large chunks
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
→ Vegetables
03 - 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into thick slices
04 - 2 medium onions, chopped
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 celery stalks, chopped
→ Liquids
07 - 1.69 cups beef stock (gluten-free if necessary)
08 - 0.85 cups dry red wine
→ Herbs & Seasoning
09 - 6 fresh thyme sprigs or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
10 - 2 bay leaves
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat the oven to 300°F or set slow cooker to low heat.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole or skillet over medium-high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper. Brown in batches until well colored on all sides. Remove and set aside.
03 - In the same pan, add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes until beginning to soften.
04 - Return beef to pan. Pour in red wine and simmer for 2 minutes to deglaze and reduce slightly.
05 - Add beef stock, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring mixture to a gentle simmer.
06 - Cover the casserole and place in the oven or slow cooker. Cook for 3 to 3½ hours in the oven or 7 to 8 hours on low in slow cooker, until beef is fork-tender and sauce has deepened.
07 - Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately while hot.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The beef becomes silky and yielding after hours of gentle heat, no knife needed.
- One pot, one oven—you can walk away and come back to dinner nearly done.
- That wine-darkened sauce tastes like it took all day to make, even though you barely touched it.
02 -
- Don't skip the browning step; that crust on the meat is where most of the flavor lives.
- If your sauce seems thin at the end, uncover the pot for the last 30 minutes of cooking and let some liquid evaporate into something richer.
03 -
- Dry your beef before browning so it actually browns instead of steaming in its own moisture.
- Taste the sauce at the very end; braised dishes need a final seasoning adjustment that you can't predict at the start.