Stone Ridge Beef Stew

Place several Stone Ridge Beef Shanks in your slow cooker with a few inches of water. Sprinkle with a little salt, put the lid on, and let them cook on low while you go about your day. In about six to eight hours—or whenever the meat is good and tender—you’ll have the makings of a hearty stew.

Lift the shanks onto a platter and let them cool just enough to handle.

While they’re cooling, cut up some potatoes and carrots. I like the pieces small enough to share a soup spoon with a bit of beef, a few peas, and some rich gravy. After all, we’re after the perfect bite.

Cook the potatoes and carrots in lightly salted water until almost tender. Don’t let them get mushy—they still have a little time to spend in the stew.

Pull the meat from the bones, setting aside the bones, excess fat, and any tough connective tissue. Break the beef into spoon-sized pieces. Be sure to scoop out that soft, rich marrow tucked inside the bones. That belongs in the stew.

Strain the broth from the slow cooker, then return it to the pot along with the beef, marrow, drained potatoes and carrots, and a handful or two of peas. If you like onions, celery, or garlic, soften some in a skillet and stir those in, too.

Cover and let everything simmer together until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have had a chance to get acquainted.

Now it’s time to turn that broth into gravy. You can use a little flour or cornstarch stirred smooth with cold water, but I’m partial to a McCormick gravy or pot roast mix. Stir in a little at a time and let it cook until the broth thickens into a good, hearty stew.

Then comes the tasting. A splash of Worcestershire sauce, a little black pepper, a pinch of thyme or sage—whatever suits you. Taste before adding more salt, especially if you’ve used a gravy mix. A little beef bouillon is an option, though those shanks will have brought plenty of rich beef flavor to the pot already.