The Christmas baked pork shank is a spectacular and flavorful dish, perfect for the holidays. In this recipe, the meat is first seared in a pan to lock in the juices and achieve a perfect browning, then finished in the oven with broth, white wine, herbs, and honey.
The result is a shank that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, ideal to serve with roasted potatoes, vegetables, or caramelized apples for an unforgettable Christmas lunch or dinner.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 10 Minutes
- Preparation time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
- Portions: 4
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: New Year, Christmas
Ingredients
- 2 pork shank (about 1.1 lbs each)
- extra virgin olive oil
- garlic
- rosemary
- pepper
- paprika
- 3/8 cup beef broth
- 3/8 cup wine
- honey
- salt
Tools
🥣 Large bowl for mixing seasonings and marinade
🔪 Knife for any trimming of the meat
🍳 Large pan for searing the shanks
🍽️ Baking pan
🕰️ Aluminum foil for covering the pan during cooking
🥄 Kitchen brush for brushing the honey
⚖️ Kitchen scale for weighing ingredients
Steps
For the preparation of the Christmas Baked Pork Shank – Recipe with Pan Searing, watch the video HERE.
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Preparation of the shanks
Wash the shanks and pat them dry with kitchen paper.
Massage the shanks with oil, salt, pepper, paprika, chopped garlic, and herbs.
Heat a large pan with a drizzle of oil.
Sear the shanks on all sides for 5–7 minutes until you achieve a nice even browning.
This step locks in the juices and intensifies the flavor.
Transfer the shanks to a baking pan.
Pour the white wine into the bottom of the pan.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 356°F for about 1 hour.
After an hour, brush the shanks with honey and uncover the pan.
Continue cooking for another 20–30 minutes, turning the shanks halfway through, until the skin is golden and crispy.
Let the shanks rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serve with roasted potatoes, caramelized apples, or seasonal vegetables.
For extra crispy skin, increase the temperature to 392°F in the last 10 minutes.
You can marinate the shanks with wine, herbs, and honey for a few hours before cooking for a more intense flavor.
Storage: consume immediately or at most the next day, reheating gently in the oven.
