Forget Chuck: For The Perfect Pot Roast, Ask Your Butcher For This Cheap Cut

When you're making pot roast, you most likely pick up a beef chuck roast at the grocery store or the butcher shop. Beef roast can certainly get expensive (it runs about $10 a pound at Walmart in Pennsylvania), and thankfully, there's another option when you're craving a slow-cooked roast: beef shank. This roast cut can cost under $7 per pound depending on where you buy it, making it a less expensive but just as delicious option — as long as you know what you're doing. 

Beef shanks are a bone-in cut that tenderizes beautifully when cooked low and slow, just like you want with a roast. Similar to osso buco, beef shanks have a thick column of bone (marrow and all) running through the middle of each piece, creating an absolutely delectable sauce that melds with the meat as it slow cooks. You'll start by searing and then braising the beef shanks (just like you would with a chuck roast), and you'll be able to kick back and relax as they slow-roast to perfection in a Dutch oven or slow cooker. To infuse more flavor, add beef broth and vegetables (potatoes and mirepoix are a great fit), plus some of the seasonings that absolutely belong in a pot roast, including onion powder, garlic powder, and thyme.

Beef shanks aren't always as easy to come by as chuck roast, so it may take some planning to get your hands on them. While you may be able to find them at stores like Costco, it's possible that you'll need to hit up your local butcher. Many of the same tips you'd typically use to cook a great pot roast still apply, like choosing quality vegetables, deglazing your pan before making your sauce, and choosing your braising liquid wisely. Another thing to keep in mind: It takes some serious time for the meat's connective tissue to break down and create a delicious broth (at least three and a half hours at 300 degrees Fahrenheit, for example). Once the shanks are cooked and falling apart, scoop any remaining marrow into the pot to enrich the reduced pan drippings and make sure you don't miss out on any of the savory goodness. 

One more thing: A beef shank's bone contains tons of flavor, so you don't want to go without. While you may be able to get your hands on boneless shanks, you'll miss out on the flavor that the bone and marrow add during the low-and-slow braising process. Paying for the bone may feel silly, but once you taste the marrow-rich sauce, you'll understand why it's worth every penny. While beef shanks can take a little longer to cook than a traditional roast, the top-notch flavor (and cash saved) make it well worth your time.