Slow Cooked Beef Shin Thyme (Printable)

Hearty beef shin slowly cooked with fragrant thyme and sweet carrots for rich, comforting flavors.

# What you'll need:

→ Meat

01 - 2.65 pounds beef shin, cut into large chunks
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Vegetables

03 - 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into thick slices
04 - 2 medium onions, chopped
05 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 2 celery stalks, chopped

→ Liquids

07 - 1.69 cups beef stock (gluten-free if necessary)
08 - 0.84 cup dry red wine

→ Herbs & Seasoning

09 - 6 fresh thyme sprigs or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
10 - 2 bay leaves
11 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 300°F or set your slow cooker to low heat.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large ovenproof casserole or skillet over medium-high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper and brown in batches until well colored on all sides. Remove and set aside.
03 - In the same pan, add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, sautéing for 5 minutes until they begin to soften.
04 - Return beef to the pan, pour in red wine, and simmer for 2 minutes to deglaze.
05 - Add beef stock, thyme, and bay leaves, then bring to a gentle simmer.
06 - Cover and place the casserole in the oven or use a slow cooker. Cook for 3 to 3.5 hours in the oven or 7 to 8 hours on low in the slow cooker until beef is fork-tender and sauce is rich.
07 - Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves, adjust seasoning, and serve hot.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The beef becomes impossibly tender without any special technique—just time and low heat do all the work.
  • Your whole kitchen smells like a cozy European bistro for hours, and the actual hands-on time is barely twenty minutes.
  • It's naturally gluten-free and tastes even better as leftovers the next day when all the flavors have deepened.
02 -
  • Don't skip the browning step even though it adds time—that caramelization is what makes the difference between good and unforgettable.
  • If your sauce looks too thin at the end, you can either simmer it uncovered for the last thirty minutes or stir in a slurry of cornstarch and cold water to thicken it slightly.
03 -
  • Make this a day ahead—the flavors deepen overnight in the refrigerator, and reheating it gently on the stovetop takes just fifteen minutes while everything else gets ready.
  • If you're using a slow cooker instead of an oven, you can prep everything in the morning and come home to a house that smells incredible and dinner that's already done.

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