I started hoisting deer up by the feet, not behind the Achilles, just so I could preserve the shanks. The shanks are the lower leg cuts, "calf" and "forearm" of the deer, and usually are grinder-pile muscles if they're even kept at all. If you've never slow braised (any animal's) shanks before, you don't know how good it really is. Due to all the connective tissue, this is a long slow cook. Start out by seasoning well (salt & pepper) a few hours beforehand. I ended up salting these first, but running out of time. So I added about 3 tbsp of salt to a cup of red wine, shook it around, and poured over top of the meat. It sat in the fridge overnight.
The next day, Mrs. TAFKAP prepared the dish. We used Hank Shaw's Portuguese-style braised shank recipe. https://honest-food.net/rainy-days-and-braised-shanks/. The key to any braised dish is to start with a good browning of the meat. You'll need a large Dutch oven or roasting pan for this one. Braises don't require a lot of liquid, but enough to get about halfway up the meat when it cooks. Avoid a Crock Pot if at all possible with this one.
The next day, Mrs. TAFKAP prepared the dish. We used Hank Shaw's Portuguese-style braised shank recipe. https://honest-food.net/rainy-days-and-braised-shanks/. The key to any braised dish is to start with a good browning of the meat. You'll need a large Dutch oven or roasting pan for this one. Braises don't require a lot of liquid, but enough to get about halfway up the meat when it cooks. Avoid a Crock Pot if at all possible with this one.
