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This braised pork shank recipe is all about payoff. Slow cooking turns a tough, affordable cut into deeply flavorful meat that pulls apart effortlessly, while white wine, broth, and simple aromatics create a rich, glossy sauce right in the pan.
If you’ve made my braised Greek lamb shanks or garlic braised beef short ribs, you already know how well braising suits tougher cuts. The long, slow cook tenderizes the meat while the bones and connective tissue enrich the cooking liquid, building deeper flavor as it goes.
Here’s Why This Pork Shank Recipe Works
Searing pays off: Browning the shanks builds a flavorful crust and lays the foundation for a rich pan sauce.
Aromatics, done right: Fennel, onion, and carrot soften into the braise, adding depth and subtle sweetness without overpowering the pork.
Low and slow: A 275°F oven gently cooks the shanks until they’re fork-tender without drying them out.
Built-in gravy: The strained braising liquid reduces into a velvety sauce with concentrated flavor from the pan.
Recipe Tips
Use a heavy pot: A Dutch oven or similar heavy pot provides even heat and steady moisture for a reliable braise.
Don’t crowd the pot: Give the shanks enough space to brown properly and develop good color.
Watch the liquid level: The shanks should be about three-quarters submerge, enough to braise, not boil.
Strain and skim: Press the vegetables to extract their flavor, then skim excess fat before reducing the sauce.
Serve with something soft: Mashed potatoes, polenta, or fluffy white rice are ideal for soaking up the sauce.
Deglaze thoroughly: After searing, scrape up every browned bit when adding the wine. That’s where much of the sauce’s depth comes from.
Cover tightly: A snug lid (or foil under the lid) prevents excess evaporation and keeps the meat moist during the long braise.
Check tenderness, not time: The shanks are ready when a fork slides in easily and the meat starts to pull away from the bone.
This recipe is especially good with my mashed creamer potatoes or my ricotta mashed potatoes, which soak up every bit of that pan gravy.
Pork Shanks And Gravy
With tender meat and a rich, savory sauce, this braised pork shank recipe delivers exactly what a long braise should. It’s comforting, substantial, and especially good served with something that can soak up every bit of the sauce.
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Braised Pork Shanks with Gravy
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Ingredients
- 4 pork shanks, about 1 to 1 ¼ pounds each
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 fennel bulb, bulbs only, chopped (fronds reserved)
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 3 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup fennel fronds
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 3 sprigs Fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
For the Gravy:
- 2 cups reserved pork broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- fennel fronds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275°F
- Season the pork shanks generously with salt and pepper. In a deep 6 or 8-quart Dutch oven or similar heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add 2 of the pork shanks, turning so they brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate, and repeat with the remaining pork shanks. This will take approximately 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining oil and the chopped fennel, onions and carrots. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant.
- Pour in the white wine and bring to a boil, simmer for about 2 minutes to reduce the wine. Add the beef broth, fennel fronds, chopped sage, rosemary, sprigs of thyme, salt, pepper and the bay leaves.
- Snuggle the braised pork shanks into the mixture until they are three-quarters submerged. Add additional broth if necessary but do not totally cover the shanks with liquid.
- Cover the pot and transfer to the lower third of the oven. Braise the pork shanks for 2-½ hours. Check the level of the liquid after 1-1/2 hours. If the liquid in the pot is covering the shanks less than half way, add additional broth and return to the oven and cook until the pork is very tender when pierced with a fork.
- Remove the pot from the oven and transfer the pork shanks to a plate. Cover the plate with foil to keep warm while making the gravy.
For the Gravy:
- Strain the cooking liquids through a fine mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing down on the vegetables with the back of a spoon. Discard the solids left in the strainer, spoon off and discard as much of the fat as possible from the surface of the strained cooking liquids.
- Melt the butter in a small skillet set over medium heat and stir in the flour and cook the roux for 2 minutes. While whisking continuously, slowly pour in the hot, strained cooking liquids and whisk until the gravy is thickened. Transfer the gravy to a pitcher or dish.
- Serve with a mound of mashed potatoes in each of four shallow bowls and add a pork shank to each serving. Pour a portion of gravy over the pork shanks and garnish with fennel fronds.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
One of my favourites! A very popular cut here in Germany…
Thanks, Angie….it’s deliciously tender and the gravy is so flavorful!