Braised Beef with Dried Figs and Quick-Pickled Cabbage

For this rich, warming beef braise, adapted from a recipe in “Aegean” by Marianna Leivaditaki, London chef and native of Crete, we use bone-in beef shanks, braise them until meltingly tender, pluck the meat off the bones and return it to the flavorful braising liquid. Dried figs and orange zest lend sweetness that balances the meatiness of the shanks and perfume the dish with the essence of the Mediterranean, while ground juniper berries add piney, resinous notes. Leivaditaki serves the braise with a quick-pickled salad that brightens the flavors and counters the beef’s silkiness with a little crunch.