Step 1

Pat dry the beef shanks with kitchen paper then sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of them. Dust both sides of the shanks with flour so that they are evenly but lightly covered then shake off any excess.

Step 2

Prepare the vegetables by dicing the onion, carrot and celery into a relatively fine dice. Finely dice the garlic.

Step 3

Warm the oil over a medium-high heat in a dish wide enough to hold the shanks in a single layer but ideally not too much larger - I used a cast iron braiser.

Step 4

Once the oil is hot, add the shanks and sear on both sides. Make sure you don't turn them too quickly - you want to get a good level of browning on both sides. Turn to sear slightly on the edges as well.

Step 5

Once seared all over, remove the shanks from the skillet. If you prefer, you can then tie kitchen twine around them to hold them together better during the rest of the cook but it is not needed if you don't mind that the shanks may break up slightly.

Step 6

Reduce the heat slightly and add the onion, carrot and celery. Add a little extra oil if needed. Cook, stirring now and then, for around 5 minutes to soften them. Once the onion is going translucent, add the garlic and continue to cook for a couple more minutes.

Step 7

Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any browning (it adds flavor to the dish) as it simmers a couple minutes.

Step 8

Allow the wine to reduce by around half or more - it will become almost syrup-like - then add the tomato paste, stock, thyme sprig and bay leaf. Stir to mix them well and break up the tomato paste, bring back to a simmer then return the shanks to the pot.

Step 9

Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low so that the liquid continues to simmer but relatively gently. Leave to cook for 2 hours, checking now and then. If your shanks are partially out of the liquid, turn them ever half hour or so.

Step 10

After around 2 hours, the shanks should be relatively tender when you pull at the meat gently with a fork. If not, cook a little longer. Once tender, remove the lid and continue to cook, simmering gently, for a further 30 - 40 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly.

Step 11

As the shanks are finishing up cooking, make the gremolata. Finely chop the parsley and garlic and mix the two along with the lemon zest so they are well distributed.

Step 12

Serve the shanks (traditionally over risotto alla Milanese/saffron risotto) with sauce over the top and with some of the gremolata sprinkled on top.