Best Beef Shank Substitutes 5 Ideas To Try Next
Brisket is a staple of Texas barbeque culture for the summer. Thousands of people go to restaurants in Dallas and Austin to get some of the most iconic barbeque food in the sandwich.
The value of brisket is in how juicy and succulent it is for most people to eat. You can serve it on a sandwich, in tacos, on a burrito or so much more.
However, making good brisket takes a lot of effort and isn’t accommodating to everyone’s diet. These are a few different substitutes if you can’t get that exact brisket you eat during the summer.
Best brisket substitutes
The best brisket substitutes are either chuck or short ribs, as they’re still close to the brisket as a cut. If you want to try out different meats, you can also opt for roast pork, lamb, or poultry thighs.
Making brisket requires that you have enough money or even have the proper set-up to get it right. Most people can’t wait for hours to make brisket or buy a smoker that costs hundreds of dollars.
Even buying the brisket just by itself would be very expensive. But what isn’t expensive are the other kinds of meat that will make it easier for the average person to experience something similar.
Chuck roast
Chuck roast has long been thought of as family meat that can serve to everyone at the dinner table. It cooks well, is very rich, and is very similar to brisket in many ways.
The biggest difference is that chuck roast comes from the shoulder and neck, and isn’t going to cost you nearly as much as brisket roast.
Now let’s talk about how to roast it. First, you want to fry the roast on both sides in a pot. Add flour, garlic, tomato paste, and some red wine and mix. After that, mix in maple syrup, paprika, lemon juice, black pepper, garlic powder, unsalted butter, and vinegar in that pot.
Roast it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 hours, or until tender. To make sure it’s tender, you can marinate it in a mix of all the ingredients above. The wine and vinegar will tenderize the meat and the spices will flavor the entire cut of meat.
Short rib
The short rib is one of the best replacements for brisket and provides you with some of the juiciest options that you can find on the market.
First, you need to fry all of the short ribs that you have in a pan. Then in a cast iron pot, add red chilies, chopped onions, apple cider vinegar, oil, butter, ketchup, black pepper, onion powder, black salt, a few cloves of garlic, brown sugar, cayenne, and some water.
Mix them all in that cast iron pot and cook in an oven for 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 hours or until tender. The result is very close to beef brisket and is a great food to eat on its own.
Roast pork
Pork is also a really good option when it comes to getting an alternative to brisket. Pork cuts can be large enough to serve a lot of people and go well with sauces.
The best cuts for this are (courtesy of thespruceeats.com):
- pork blade roast
- pork tenderloin
- pork rib roast
- pork top loin roast
- pork sirloin roast
- Boston butts
Before you roast the meat in the tray, season it with salt and pepper and fry it on all sides to develop color. You want to use salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar, some celery, honey, beef bouillon, and 2 cloves of garlic for your roasting sauce.
Let that bake in an oven for 400 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 2 hours. Make sure it has plenty of water and juices, otherwise it will dry out.
Lamb roast
Lamb may not be for everyone, but for those who love it, it’s an absolute treat. There are a few cuts you can use to make an amazing lamb roast. Whichever you use is up to you, some are more expensive and some are more flavorful.
Keep in mind that lamb, like mutton, has a very strong flavor and the outer membrane needs to be very well cleaned before roasting. We recommend using plenty of rosemary, red wine, smoked paprika, and olive oil for this meat.
Lamb needs to be roasted for hours on end, so give yourself plenty of time.
Roast leg
An entire leg of lamb is ideal for serving up to 5 people, as long as you have plenty of side dishes and will serve dessert afterward. Lamb fills you up very well, so don’t underestimate it.
Easy to carve and very flavorful, it’s both lean and flavorful.
Roast shoulder
A less expensive cut of lamb, the shoulder is fatter and provides lots of flavors. It’s not as easy to carve, but it’s easier than ribs. It’s best to roast this one on a low over setting for the majority of the day.
Because it’s a joint roast, it will take longer to get the meat to fall off the bones, so give it plenty of time.
Meat is used for making mouth-watering delicious recipes like burgers, spicy curry, chillies, roasted meat and many more as the list is unstoppable.
There are various kinds of meat available in the market that come from different animals and we know them with different names.
One of them is beef which comes from cows or steers.
Different cuts of beef come from different parts of the cattle and each one of them has a specific name.
Here, we are talking about the beef shank.
Firstly, what is a beef shank?
Beef shank is tough and muscular meat that comes from the leg section of cows or steers, this part is often used by them regularly during daily activities which makes it muscular and flavourful when cooked.
This part is also known by two different names: ForeShank and Hind Shank.
Remember that beef shank can also be sold as "soup bones" at the store as many local butchers label it like this and not beef shank.
Since beef shank is muscular it requires a slow cooking process, therefore it is typically used for making stews, beef bourguignon, osso bucco and beef stock.
What if you don’t get a beef shank at the shop or want to cook something less muscular? You may be curious about what to try now?
Then here is the solution, we have a list of substitutes that will work great and will be as delicious as the beef shank.
The best beef shank substitutes are beef arm, oxtail, skirt, chuck roast and tendon.
Beef arm
Like the name, it comes from the shoulder area of the cattle.
This part is frequently used by the cattle making it quite tough which means that it is great for slow cooking.
When slow-cooked it becomes very flavorful and soft due to a good amount of fat present in it.
Oxtail
This part is taken from the tail of the cattle and it is quite expensive too.
If this is under your budget then go for it or else go for the other options on the list.
It is fatty and tastes amazing when cooked properly. It also needs slow cooking and is considered to be a great alternative to the beef shank.
It has a nice texture, deep and rich flavour that can be obtained only when it is slow-cooked.
Skirt
This part comes from the section below the ribs of the cattle and it is fatty too.
Skirt steak can be replaced in almost every recipe that needs beef shank.
One bonus point for using this steak is that you can cook it slow as well as fast.
It is not a muscle but needs to be cut properly if you want to cook it perfectly.
You have to be very cautious while cutting, if it is not sliced against the grain in thin strips then it will be tough to cook.
Also, you have to be very careful while cooking otherwise, you will get a dry uncooked dish which can spoil your whole mood.
Chuck roast
This cut is very similar to the arm cut as this also comes from the shoulder area or the neck area that makes it quite distinct from the beef arm.
It will be a good replacement for the beef shank.
This part has a very good fat content with muscular meat and when cooked slowly this combination gives a nice beefy flavour.
Tendon
This part of the cattle has a gelatinous texture and is similar to the pork belly.
It requires slow cooking and seasoning for making it perfectly cooked.
Once it is tender enough it will get cooked properly.
For better results, you should rinse the beef tendons with cold water and put them in soy sauce.
You should also simmer and cook it for at least four hours.
Are beef shanks and short ribs the same?
No, they both are different and come from different parts of the cattle.
Beef shank comes from the leg section whereas ribs come from brisket, plate, chuck or ribs.
Short ribs are close to the beef shanks but they both are different meat.
You can also substitute silverside, veal shanks and short ribs instead of beef shank. These were not particularly described on the list but they are also good replacements.
The tastiest cut of beef
You may be eagerly waiting to know what the tastiest cut of beef is.
So, the tastiest cut of beef is the rib eyes.
It comes from the rib section, particularly the upper part as it contains a bit of the back muscles as well.
This part is never tough as the cattle rarely uses this part in any of their activities in their entire life.
If you cook it for too long then you are making a mistake as it will make it tough, so be careful while cooking it.
The best way to cook rib eye is quick and hot cooking.
Can you slow cook any cut of beef?
Yes, the best way known to cook beef is by slow cooking. Slow cooking is always an effective method to opt-in for cooking beef.
Well! It depends on you whether you are in a hurry or have much time to perfectly cook your dish.
The more time you give for slow cooking your beef, the tastier it will be.
But always remember that every cut of beef of the cattle cooks differently with different times.
More about beef!
The more you cook the beef it gets tougher and then gradually gets softer and more tender.
Always try to cook tougher cuts of beef in the low and slow process you will get the best results.
Beef is the culinary name for meat from cows and steers(bullock).
Beef is a rich source of protein and nutrients.
Beef Shank nutritional value
serving per 100 grams provides:
Calories: 201
Fat: 6 g
Cholesterol: 78 mg
Sodium: 64 mg
Potassium: 447 mg
Carbohydrate: 0 g
Fibre: 0 g
Protein: 34 g
Vitamin C: 0%
Iron: 21%
Cobalamin: 63%
Calcium: 3%
Vitamin B-6: 20%
Magnesium: 7%
Beef shank additionally provides you bone marrow which is very nutritious and flavourful. Sometimes, people also purchase beef shank for this reason too.
How should you cook beef shank?
The most important thing you have to invest in while making beef shank is time. Yes! Beef shank takes a lot of time to transform itself from tough and chewy to tender and flavorful.
You can also use a pressure cooker to reduce the time, trust me guys this kitchen utensil helps a lot.
However, when beef shanks are cooked slowly at low temperatures the nutritional benefits come out nicely.
Are beef shanks expensive?
Beef shanks are generally overlooked by everyone for buying, they are not very expensive to purchase. Infact, it is the most prominent choice one can make by selecting this as you will get them in just a few bucks with many nutrients packed which is the bonus point.
Many recipes exist today made with beef shank but the below-listed yummy recipes are must a try:
- Beef Shank Osso Bucco
- Beef Shank Curry
- Stewed Beef Shank
- Beef Shank Noodles
- Beef Shank Barbacoa
- Beef Shank Pochero
- Beef Shank with Mushrooms and Cranberry