Step 1: Mise en place 

As the French term suggests, chop your vegetables and gather and measure all the ingredients before you begin. Don’t forget to wash and pat dry your beef shanks, ensuring everything is ready before making this recipe. 

Step 2: Season the beef shanks

Place your beef shanks on a baking tray, and generously season both sides with sea salt and black pepper. Then, lightly coat each side with all-purpose flour. If you have any excess flour, don’t discard it; keep it aside for later steps when making Roux. It helps thicken the red wine sauce for a more velvety consistency.

Step 3: Brown your beef shanks 

Begin by preheating your slow cooker. Once it’s heated, add 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter to the pot. Allow the butter to melt and turn golden brown, then add the beef shanks to the pot. sear each side for 3 to 4 minutes until they become beautiful golden brown.  Remove and set your seared beef shank and set aside and proceed to the next step. 

Step 4: Cook your Mirepoix 

After removing the seared beef shanks, melt another 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in the pot. Add chopped onion, shallot, and garlic, and sauté them for 5 minutes until they become fragrant and translucent. Next, stir in the chopped carrots, tomato wedges, and tomato paste, cooking everything together for 5 to 10 minutes until they reach the desired tenderness and soften.

Step 5: Reintroduce Beef shanks and the rest of the ingredients 

Place the seared beef shanks back into the pot alongside the sautéed mirepoix. Now, add the remaining ingredients to the mixture. This includes red wine, unsalted beef stock, and a blend of dried herbs. Use a spatula to mix well, cover, and set your pot at high heat and let it cook for three hours.

Step 6: Stir in the remaining ingredients 

Once the beef shanks have cooked for 3 hours, it is time to enhance the flavors further. Add in the sugar and Worcestershire sauce, stirring them into the pot. To thicken the red wine sauce, create a roux by mixing equal parts of the excess flour and water in a small bowl. Drizzle the roux into the pot and stir well. Cover and allow it to cook for one more hour, allowing all the delightful flavors to meld together beautifully.

Step 7: Serve it immediately or the following day: 

I recommend serving this dish the following day for a more intense flavor. After slow cooking, allow it to cool down, and refrigerate the pot. The fat will solidify, making it easy to remove the excess oil. On the day you plan to serve it, take it out a few hours before mealtime, scrape off the solidified fat with a spoon, and discard it. Reheat your beef shanks in the slow cooker for an additional hour, ensuring a less oily and even more delicious result. Though optional, this step enhances the overall taste and is definitely worth trying!