Oven Braised Beef Shank with Tarragon

Got a bottle of dry Marsala and was ready to go with this recipe. Next time try adding potatoes with the carrots.

• 2 T olive oil
• ~2 lbs beef shank (I used 2 pieces, bone in)
• salt and pepper
• garlic
• celery, 1 stalk, cut into 1/2" cubes
• 1 c Marsala wine
• 14oz+ beef broth
• carrots, 2" cuts
• 2 T dried tarragon

1. Season shanks with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in cast iron/dutch oven pan on stovetop. Fully brown the shanks, 5-12 min.
3. Transfer to plate.
4. Saute celery for 5 min. Add garlic and continue to saute 1-5 min.
5. Pour in wine, scrape brown bits off with wooden spoon.
6. If in small pan, transfer to oven proof pan.
7. Place shanks in pan. Add in carrots. Pour in broth (and water if needed) to cover 50-75% of shanks.
8. Sprinkle tarragon over shanks.
9. Cover with lid or with double layer of foil.
10. Bake at 275 until meat is falling off bone (about 4-5 hours). [Alt: cook at 300 for shorter time]
11. Serve with veggies and bread/mashed potatoes/rice.

Cheater Chicken Noodle Soup

I had a sick family so needed to make a quick lunch of chicken noodle soup. Everyone liked it. Cheater because I bought a roasted chicken at the grocery store. I based this on a recipe I found online but can't find it anymore. This is from memory.

• chicken, roasted
• 4 c vegetable broth (or more)
• egg noodles
• celery (optional)
• carrots, cubed
• salt
• pepper
• garlic (instead of onion)
• thyme
• 1 T butter

1. Saute minced garlic in butter.
2. Add carrots (and celery). 
3. Add broth and bring to boil. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.
4. Add chicken pieces.
5. Add egg noodles to cook through (OR cook separately so that the soup sans noodles can be frozen and used later).
6. Simmer for 20 min.
7. Serve with bread.