Instructions
Follow the steps and taste along the way.
Brown the shanks
Pat the shanks dry with a paper towel and season with 6 g of salt. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and brown the meat in batches on all sides, for about 8–10 minutes, until deeply browned. Transfer it to the slow cooker.
Prepare the wine base
Add the red onion to the same skillet and cook for 3 minutes, until softened and lightly browned at the edges. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the red wine, scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon, and simmer gently for 2 minutes.
Begin slow cooking
Pour the contents of the skillet over the shanks. Add the passata, beef stock, rosemary, bay leaf, black pepper, and the remaining 2 g of salt. The meat should be partially submerged in the sauce. Cover the cooker and cook on LOW for 7 hours; follow your appliance manufacturer's instructions.
Add the beans
After 7 hours, check that the meat is tender. Drain and rinse the white beans, then stir them into the sauce around the shanks. Cover and continue cooking on LOW for 1 more hour. Use a thermometer to check that the thickest part of the meat, away from the bone, has reached at least 71 °C; the meat should also be tender and separate easily from the bone.
Finish the sauce and serve
Remove the rosemary sprigs and bay leaf. Stir the lemon juice and lemon zest into the sauce. Taste and check the seasoning; if the sauce is too thick, stir in 30 ml of hot water. Serve one shank per portion with the beans and sauce.
