What is the Difference Between Beef Shank and Soup Bones?
There are many types of bone-in cuts of beef that are available at the supermarket. One common question is, “What is the difference between beef shank and soup bones?” While soup bones are typically made up of more than one bone, beef shanks are usually cut from the entire lower leg or shin.
They can come in a variety of cuts including cross-cut, French-cut, English-cut, and round steak. Beef shank is more versatile than soup bones because it can be used for any number of dishes. Soup bones are typically used for making soups and stews.
Beef shanks also come with more options when it comes to how they’re cooked. Beef shanks can be roasted, braised, boiled, slow cooked, grilled, fried on the stovetop or pan-fried on the stovetop. Soup bones cannot be roasted or fried on the stovetop but they do need to be boiled before they’re used in a stew or soup recipe.
What are beef shanks?
Beef shanks are cut from the entire lower leg or shin. They can come in a variety of cuts including cross-cut, French-cut, English-cut, and round steak. Beef shanks are more versatile than soup bones because they can be used for any number of dishes while soup bones are typically used for making soups and stews.
Where are soup bones used?
Soup bones are typically used for making soups and stews.
Beef shanks can be roasted, braised, boiled, slow cooked, grilled, fried on the stovetop or pan-fried on the stovetop. Soup bones cannot be roasted or fried on the stovetop but they do need to be boiled before they’re used in a stew or soup recipe.
How are beef shanks cooked?
One of the most popular ways to cook beef shanks is by roasting them. To roast beef shanks, you will need to preheat the oven to 350-400 degrees Fahrenheit and place the shanks on a baking sheet lined with foil. After they’ve been roasted for about 2 hours, cook them for another hour in a covered dish with an onion, carrots, celery, and garlic.
Another way to enjoy beef shanks is by braising them in a tomato sauce or broth with vegetables like onions, carrots, celery, and garlic. You can also slow cook them or pan fry them when they’re cooked all the way through. When cooking soup bones in a pot of water until it becomes soft enough to be eaten without chewing too much.
How are soup bones cooked?
Soup bones are typically used for making soups and stews but there are some ways to cook them. Bone-in beef soup bones can be boiled before they’re used in a stew or soup recipe. This typically takes about 90 minutes to cook on the stovetop. The soup bone will be done when the meat has pulled off the bone with ease. While this is an easy way to cook soup bones, it’s not always practical. You have to either spend time boiling them or you’ll need a large pot of water just for boiling the soup bones.
It’s possible to cook soup bones quickly by pressure cooking them instead of boiling them on the stovetop. A pressure cooker works by sealing in moisture and increasing the internal temperature of the food being prepared, which makes it possible for some foods like soup bones to be cooked more quickly than on the stovetop, like in about 45 minutes. For people who want fast and easy cooking, using a pressure cooker is probably their best option if they plan on boiling their soup bones first anyway; it’s just quicker and more convenient without requiring as much water or time as boiling on the stovetop does.
Conclusion
Beef shanks are from the lower part of the cow’s leg and are often cut from the shin. They have a lot of flavor but can be tough, so they are often braised or cooked in liquid.
Soup bones are from the upper part of the cow, and typically come from the neck, shoulder or leg. They have a lot of collagen and therefore a lot of flavor. They are typically boiled, but can also be roasted or baked, depending on what you’re going for.