Market To Plate Cuisine

Aquidneck Grower’s Winter Market is my local market; it’s a proud part of my Saturday routine that begins with persuading my wife to leave the couch so we can have a crack at the best stuff. The routine has changed somewhat this year. I still make the same circuit collecting veggies, fish, meat and mushrooms, but now we’re in the Newport Winery amongst the barrels and stainless steel tanks. There are tourists all dressed up sampling wine, next to the farmers’ market regulars who just rolled out of bed and shlumped in after finding the closest pair of jeans. The mix really works, with some checking out wine who were looking for carrots, and some buzzing tourists who quite like the look of the pastries at Provencal.

There are also some new faces, with Pat’s Pastured’s To Go cart making themselves regulars this year. It was at that cart that I caught up with Chef Oliver Williams. Chef Oliver is a long time family friend of Patrick McNiff, namesake of Pat’s Pastured. When his job at Farmstead came to an end with their closing, he took the opportunity to work with Pat to grow the food truck side of his business. As he grilled the various parts of my buttered brioche ham, egg and cheese, I asked him for a seasonal recipe emphasizing some of their terrific locally pastured meat. Since nothing screams midwinter like meat falling off the bone, Oliver went with a recipe for braising Pat’s Pastured Beef Shanks. This is a cheaper cut of meat, coaxed into tenderness as it cooks for hours. In addition to the Aquidneck Growers’ Winter Market at the Newport Winery in Middletown, you can also find Pat’s Pastured meats at Persimmon’s Provisions in Barrington.

Braised Beef Shank (Feeds 3-4)

Ingredients:
• 4 Pat’s Pastured Grass-Fed Beef Shanks

• 3 T olive oil
• 2 cups red cooking wine (this is a perfect use for that opened bottle of red that’s been sitting out for a few days)
• 2 cups beef stock (substitute chicken or vegetable stock if desired)
• 2 T Worcestershire sauce
• 1 T brown sugar
• Salt, as needed
• Black pepper, as needed
• 1 head of garlic, peeled and smashed
• 3 shallots, peeled and halved
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 6 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Rub shanks generously with salt and pepper as well as the brown sugar. In a cast iron or heavy frying pan sear the briskets with the oil on high heat until they have color on all sides. Remove shanks and set aside.
3. Add the garlic, shallot and carrot to the remaining oil and sauté on medium-high heat until fragrant and starting to brown.
4. Pour in the wine, deglazing the pan, and remove any brown “flavor” from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
5. Transfer liquid and vegetables into a Dutch oven or similar pan with a cover. Add the remaining ingredients including the shanks.
6. Place covered pan in the oven for 4-5 hours, until meat is tender and beginning to fall off the bone. Remove the shanks and set aside on a serving platter, covered.
7. Pour remaining cooking liquid through a strainer, to remove vegetables and herbs, into a sauce- pan. Bring to a boil then simmer over medium high heat until the liquid is 1/3 the volume (about 1 cup). Use this reduction, or jus, as a gravy. Serve with roasted or mashed potatoes.