you can use lamb instead of beef.
sauce:
4-5 dried guajillo peppers, toasted whole, then deseeded
1-2 cayenne pepper/chile de arbol pods, also toasted then deseeded
1 ancho pepper pod, again toasted and deseeded
hydrate peppers in water…tip: put peppers in bowl and cover with a heavy object to keep peppers in the water and not floating on the surface -remove when peppers are pliable and fully hydrated
1 can of diced tomatoes
1/2 large onion, caramelized. When onions become translucent add in tomatoes to incorporate the flavors
spices…toasted cumin seeds, a teaspoon, coriander seeds, also a teaspoon, toast some raw pumpkin seeds…peppercorns, etc…all together…make sure they don’t burn
now add peppers, onions and diced tomatoes, and toasted spices and garlic cloves (to taste) into a blender or food processor…blend until you get a smooth texture…if it’s too thick you can add some beef broth to thin it out some
now add one can of beef or chicken broth (for lamb) to the paste so that there’s enough liquid to cook the shanks…thickness of a stew works - also add a bay leaf or two, some Mexican oregano…maybe a teaspoon or so
taste to see if you need to salt
set aside while you braise shanks
4 shanks, about 2 1/2 lbs…braised after light dusting in flour mixed with powdered garlic, cumin, cayenne pepper, and salt - braise meat until a nice toasty browning
add into a casserole dish you can use in oven
pour the sauce over the shanks…cook for 3 hours at 325
If you don’t like shanks, you can choose another cut of beef, chuck roast…not expensive cuts…
anywho, I started this as an optional way of cooking shanks…usually we make osso buco
oh, to serve them up, I pulled them out the casserole and sliced up the meat…warmed some corn tortillas and made the equivalent of street tacos…garnished with cilantro, minced onion, and lime juice to each taco