Cous Cous Place a skillet on stovetop set to medium-low heat. Add 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Add 1 1/3 cups of Israeli couscous and cook, stirring until tender about 6-8 minutes. Drain and use immediately or rinse under cold water and reserve for later use. Pork Shanks Season the shanks well with salt and pepper. Place a skillet on stovetop set to medium heat, add the oil and heat until hot but not smoking. Add the shanks and brown on all sides. Remove and set aside. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add half of the carrots, half of the celery, the onion and garlic and cook on stovetop over a medium-low heat until the vegetables are soft but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste, wine, vinegar, mustard oil, chicken broth and peppercorns and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the shanks to the stoneware, the softened vegetables and sauce over shanks a Remove the shanks, strain out all of the solids from the braising liquid, and add in the uncooked carrot and celery. Place the shanks back in stoneware and onto slow cooker heating base and cover. Cook on High for 1 hour. Check the shanks for doneness: remove one and place it on a plate. The meat should be very soft but still attached to the bone. To serve; add the precooked couscous to the stoneware just to reheat, about 3-4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon remove some of the couscous, carrot and celery and place in the bottom of a shallow bowl. Place a Pork Shank on top of that and then spoon 2-3 o