FAST/SLOW / NATURAL RELEASE / CAN BE GLUTEN-FREE / FREEZES WELL
Beer-Braised Beef Shanks
6 servings
Beef shanks are the fantastic cut of beef: like osso buco but more savory, less soft, a hearty meal for chilly weather. The shanks are big—they won’t all be submerged in the cooking liquids. Overlap them as necessary.
And one note: We also tested this recipe with grass-fed-and-finished beef shanks. They needed an extra 5 minutes under pressure at either pressure level (but no additional time on the SLOW COOK function).
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 bone-in ½- to ¾-inch-thick beef shanks, each about ¾ pound
4 ounces frozen pearl onions (1 cup—no need to thaw)
6 ounces thinly sliced brown cremini mushrooms
1 cup dark beer, preferably brown ale
¾ cup beef or chicken broth
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1.
Press the button for: SAUTÉ
Set it for: MEDIUM, NORMAL, or CUSTOM 300°F
Set the time for: 30 minutes
If necessary, press: START
2. Warm the oil in a 6- or 8-quart cooker for a minute or two. Add two or three of the shanks and brown well, turning a few times, about 10 minutes. Transfer these to a nearby bowl and soldier on, browning the remaining shanks without crowding them before getting them into the bowl.
3. Add the pearl onions and mushrooms to the pot. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Pour in the beer and scrape up the browned bits on the pot’s bottom.
4. Turn off the SAUTÉ function. Stir in the broth, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, caraway seeds, and thyme. Return the shanks and any juices to the pot, nestling them into the sauce as well as you can. Lock the lid onto the pot.
5.
Set the machine for: PRESSURE COOK
Set the level for: MAX
The valve must be: 
Set the time for: 40 minutes with the KEEP WARM setting off
If necessary, press: START
Set the machine for: MEAT/STEW, PRESSURE COOK, or MANUAL
Set the level for: HIGH
The valve must be: Closed
Set the time for: 50 minutes with the KEEP WARM setting off
If necessary, press: START
Set the machine for: SLOW COOK
Set the level for: HIGH
The valve must be: Opened
Set the time for: 5 hours with the KEEP WARM setting off (or on for no more than 4 hours)
If necessary, press: START
6. If you’ve used a pressure setting, when the machine has finished cooking, turn it off and let its pressure return to normal naturally, about 30 minutes.
7. Unlatch the lid and open the pot. Serve the shanks in bowls with lots of the sauce around them.