Stew beef shank with morel and wood ear mushrooms

beef lower legs

The organic beef farmer who come every summer to cut grass, (to feed his herd), gave me cuts of meat that need long cooking, hence less easy to sell and fetch a lower price, like cheek, shank etc. It is actually the parts with collagen that I like very much.

This time is the lower legs, I butcher to separate the shank part with the tendons from the tender meat part, which is used in quick stir-fry.  

Stew beef shank with morel and wood ear mushrooms

The shank pieces are slowly simmered for 5 hours in cider (for the alcohol, mild acidity, and because I made a lot the year before), morel soaking liquid, wood ear fungus, season with star anise, ginger, Sichuan pepper, aged mandarin peel, dates (for sweetness and to thicken the sauce), and salt.

Soaked morel mushrooms are added at the last half hour of cooking. 

Stew beef shank with morel and wood ear mushrooms