Roasted Pork Shanks with Sugo

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Ali Clarke

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I never really know what to get my Dad or my husband, the most wonderful father, for Father’s Day. They don’t need another tie, or piece of sports equipment, or cologne. So this year I’m going to show my love and appreciation by slow-cooking pork shanks in an herby lemon marinade for 10 hours along with a simple, slightly spicy tomato sauce, or sugo. The pork shanks are then finished in the oven to get what everyone really wants: the crispiest pork skin that rivals any porchetta. This recipe pairs a whole suite of Anova equipment—the Anova Precision Vacuum Sealer Pro, the Anova Precision Cooker Pro, and the Anova Precision Oven— with D'Artagnan Porcelet Hindshanks (All great gifts for Dad!). Each piece of equipment makes this seemingly complex recipe easy to make, so you can spend quality time with the dad in your life while making sure the shanks come out perfectly. Happy Father’s Day! Notes: The pork shanks are more tender and more flavorful the longer you marinate them, but you can sous vide them immediately if you prefer to skip the 12 hours in the refrigerator. We like to serve this dish in a large platter, adding the sauce first and then nestling the whole crispy pork shanks into the sauce. Alternatively, you can make individual plates and use a chef’s knife to carve the shanks, breaking the meat and crispy skin into bite sized pieces. This recipe uses Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
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Ingredients for 4

  • For the Pork Shanks

  • 4 D'Artagnan Porcelet Hindshanks (about 6 pounds)

  • 2 heads garlic (about 20 cloves), peeled

  • 1 small bunch thyme, about 12-14 sprigs (if the stems are woody, discard them and use the leaves only)

  • 8 large sprigs’ worth fresh oregano leaves, stems discarded

  • 6 large sprigs’ worth fresh rosemary leaves, stems discarded

  • 8 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

  • 2 large lemons, zested

  • 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)

  • For the Sugo

  • 1 28-ounce can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes

  • ¼ cup unsalted tomato paste

  • ½ cup red wine

  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 medium red onion, finely diced

  • 4 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

  • 1 cinnamon stick

  • 1 star anise

  • 10 large basil leaves

  • 2 sprigs fresh oregano

  • To Serve

  • ½ cup freshly grated parmesan

  • ¼ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley

  • Optional, for serving: Cooked pasta, grilled bread, risotto, or polenta

Directions

  • Step 1

    Prepare the Herb Paste Add the garlic and herbs to a cutting board and chop them together to form a rough paste. Alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle or spice grinder to make the paste. Add the paste to a bowl along with the salt, pepper, lemon zest and juice, and stir until evenly combined.

  • Step 2

    Marinate the Pork Add two shanks to a large bowl and massage half of the paste all over the shanks to evenly coat. Add the marinated shanks to a 12-inch long sous vide bag along with any of the paste leftover in the bowl. Fully vacuum and seal the bag. Repeat with the remaining 2 shanks and paste. Marinate the pork shanks in the refrigerator overnight, or for about 12 hours.

  • Step 3

    Preheat the Sous Vide Fill a container that is large enough to generously fit all four shanks halfway with water, and preheat to 155° F.

  • Step 4

    Prepare the Sugo Add the canned tomatoes and tomato paste to a medium bowl. Crush the tomatoes by hand and stir the tomato paste into the sauce until it dissolves. Add the red wine, olive oil, red onions, garlic, salt, vinegar, red pepper flakes, cinnamon stick, star anise, basil, and oregano, and stir until combined. Add the tomato sauce to a 10-inch long sous vide bag and use the pulse vacuum to remove as much air as possible before sealing shut.

  • Step 5

    Sous Vide the Pork and Sauce Add the pork shanks and sauce to the preheated sous vide for 10 hours.

  • Step 6

    Preheat the Oven Place one oven rack in position 1. (no sous vide, top and rear heat, 400° F, 0% steam)

  • Step 7

    Prep the Pork Shanks After 10 hours, remove the shanks from the water bath. To avoid any spilling, place the pork shank bags into a large bowl, cut open the bag and then remove the shanks with tongs. Then, strain the remaining liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside. Use a sharp metal skewer or the tip of a paring knife to poke holes all over the pork shanks just deep enough to pierce the skin and fat cap, but not into the meat. This will help the fat release while roasting and create a crispy exterior.

  • Step 8

    Roast the Pork Shanks and Thicken the Sauce Add the tomato sauce to the pork liquid in the baking dish and stir to combine. Put the dish on the Anova sheet pan and place in the oven. Place the unused oven rack in the next position above the baking dish (likely position 4). Arrange the pork shanks so they are directly on the oven rack, hovering over the sauce. Roast for 40 minutes, flipping the shanks half way through roasting, or until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly and the pork shanks are golden brown and crispy. Remove the oregano stems, cinnamon stick, and star anise from the sauce and discard. Optionally, skim any fat from the sauce with a metal spoon and discard. Let the shanks rest for 10-15 minutes.

    • Finishing Steps

    • Step 0

      Serve Add the tomato sauce to a platter and top with the whole crispy pork shanks. Garnish with grated parmesan and parsley and optionally serve with cooked pasta, grilled bread, risotto or polenta.

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155 F / 68.3 C Recipe Temp
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