Marinated Beef Shank W/ Asparagus Recipe

Prepare the marinade

In a medium bowl whisk together soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, brown sugar, minced garlic, grated ginger, sesame oil, black pepper and kosher salt until sugar begins to dissolve.

Marinate the beef shanks

Place beef shanks in a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag. Pour 3/4 of the marinade over the beef (reserve 1/2 cup separately for finishing sauce and discard any marinade that contacts raw beef if you do not plan to cook it later). Turn to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight for best flavor (minimum 30 minutes if short on time).

Bring to room temperature

About 30 minutes before cooking, remove beef from refrigerator and let it sit covered at room temperature to take the chill off. Pat the shanks dry with paper towels to ensure good browning; reserve the marinating juices you set aside for finishing sauce.

Sear the beef

Heat a heavy skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Add 1 teaspoon of neutral oil. Sear beef shanks 3–4 minutes per side, until a deep brown crust forms. Do not overcrowd the pan; sear in batches if necessary. Transfer seared shanks to a plate and loosely tent with foil.

Prepare asparagus and shallot

While beef rests, trim woody ends from asparagus and cut any very thick stalks lengthwise. Pat dry. Thinly slice the shallot and scallions; separate white and green parts if desired.

Cook asparagus

In the same skillet over medium-high heat, add remaining 1 tablespoon neutral oil. Add sliced shallot and cook 1 minute until softened. Add asparagus and toss to coat; season lightly with salt and pepper. Cook 3–5 minutes, shaking the pan or turning occasionally, until asparagus is tender-crisp with a little char. Remove asparagus to a warm plate and keep warm.

Finish and garnish

Slice beef shank against the grain into 1/4–1/2 inch slices. Arrange slices beside asparagus, scatter scallion greens and toasted sesame seeds over the dish.

Make sauce

In a small saucepan bring the reserved 1/2 cup marinade to a simmer for 2–3 minutes to cook off raw-beef bacteria. Whisk cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water to make a slurry and add to the simmering marinade, stirring until sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute. Adjust seasoning to taste. Spoon a little sauce over the sliced beef and asparagus.

Serve the marinated beef shank slices with asparagus immediately while hot, with additional sauce on the side. Leftover cooked beef keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days.