Beef Shanks Braised in An Onion Broth

This past week has been a devastating week for so many New Yorkers and New Jersey residents. Hurricane Sandy came and went, leaving a whole lot of damage. It broke my heart when I saw so many people without homes, and the death toll kept raising. 

I decided I needed to do something more than donate money, so I chose to volunteer at a shelter where I could easily catch a working subway line. The only thing about volunteering is that it really saddens me and it drains me. I know this from past experiences and I want to stay strong for those in need. Today, I decided to cook. I mean really cook. It calms me, and I love the aroma of cooking that permeates throughout my apartment. It's comforting, especially when it's cold outside.  I found this recipe by Food Wishes. Chef John is very thorough in explaining, so the cooking part was easy. I have to warn you though, it needs to sit on the stove for 3-4 hours so be prepared. 

This is what mine turned out to look like: 

I think it's worth the wait. The recipe calls for very easy ingredients. He used polenta and I used homemade mashed potatoes. I also used less beef and more veggies, but that's really your call. I'm a veggie freak. Below is his recipe, or you can click on his website and check out his other great recipes. 

Recipe from Foodwishes.com 

Ingredients: 
Ingredients:
2 tbsp vegetable oil
4 beef shanks (about 1 1/2-inch thick)
3 large onions
1 bay leave
6 springs thyme
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 sprigs rosemary
1/2 cup diced carrot
1/2 cup diced celery
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 cups beef broth
chives to garnish