First of all, 6 pounds of beef shank is a huge amount for soup...think of putting that into a pot and covering it with water! That would ba a huge amount! I am with those who say to use the beef ribs for the "bone" taste and additional chick or round for some meat. I can get a rack of beef ribs for about $6 to $8 here and add another pound and a half of chuck and it's not too bad... But minestroni is a "big" soup...veggies beans and pasta....don't need a lot of beef....just bones for the flavor. Since beef shank has gotten so expensive as has lamb shank because someone says it's "trendy" ..I am anxiously awaiting the price decling of beef fillet and lamb loin chops....as they are so...declasse... Pah! Linda C

Of course I use beef shank. (grin) But then, you knew that... I also like to make beef and barley with it, it gives a nice beefy flavor to the barley, but I have to start the shanks first and add the barley later, the shanks take much longer to cook. Elery likes this recipe a lot. He leaves out the mint, I leave out the wine and use beef stock but he likes it better with the wine. It's a Chris Cosentino recipe. Beef Brasato with Pappardelle 2 3/4 pounds trimmed boneless beef shank, cut into 2-inch pieces 1 bottle dry red wine 15 mint sprigs, stems reserved Salt and freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 can peeled Italian tomatoes, crushed 1 pound fresh pappardelle 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the beef with the wine, mint stems and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Seal the bag and refrigerate overnight. Preheat the oven to 325ð. Drain the beef, reserving the marinade; discard the mint stems. Pat the beef dry. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add half of the meat to the casserole and cook over moderately high heat, turning occasionally, until well browned all over, about 12 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate. Brown the remaining meat over moderate heat. Return all of the meat to the casserole. Add the marinade and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and braise in the oven for about 2 hours and 15 minutes, until the meat is very tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate and shred with 2 forks. Boil the braising liquid until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pappardelle until al dente. Drain and return the pasta to the pot. Add the meat and the reduced braising liquid and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the pasta is well coated with the brasato, about 2 minutes. In a small skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook until lightly golden, about 1 minute. Add the mint leaves and cook for 10 seconds. Pour the garlic-mint oil over the pasta and toss. Serve in shallow bowls, passing the cheese alongside. Annie

I brown the slices in my huge stock pot with the clad bottom.....then add some onion and water....and celery,carrots, tomato, rutabega herbs, spices, wine etc... When the meat begins to fall off the bone....after about 1n hour, I remove it from the pot, cool it a bit remove the meat and put back into the soup pot and simmer a half an hour or more. Then I add the "soft veggies" like green beans, peas, corn and okra and cook another 20 minutes or so.....check for seasonings and serve. Linda C

You could serve this with noodles if you prefer. I love noodles but they wouldn’t be my choice for osso bucco. If you don’t like mashed potatoes rice would be a better choice IMO. I also would not use Bristol Heavy Cream Sherry for this. Sherry has a distinct taste that wouldn’t be good in this. You could subsitute white wine or leave out the alcohol altogether and use a bit more stock with a tablespoon of vinegar. When you are asking questions about a specific product, it is important to spell it correctly in case there isn’t anyone answering who is good at interpreting.