1. For Broth: Heat 1 tablepoon oil in a large soup kettle or Dutch oven over medium-high heat; brown meat, bones, and onion halves on all sides in batches, making sure not to overcrowd the pan, and adding the additional teaspoon and a half of oil to the pan if necessary. Remove and set aside. Add red wine to the empty kettle; cook until reduced to a syrup, 1 to 2 minutes. Return browned bones, meat, and onion to kettle. Reduce heat to low, then cover and sweat meat and onions until they have released about 3/4 cup dark, very intensely flavored liquid, about 20 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, add 2 quarts water and salt; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to very low, partially cover, and barely simmer until meat is tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
2. Strain broth, discard bones and onions, and set meat aside, reserving half of the meat for another use. (At this point broth and meat can be cooled to room temperature and covered and refrigerated up to 5 days.) Let broth stand until fat rises to the top; skim and discard fat. When the unreserved meat is cool enough to handle, shred into bite-size pieces. Reserve 2 cups shredded meat for soup.
3. For Soup: Heat oil over medium-high heat in a soup kettle or Dutch oven. Add onion, carrots, and celery; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add thyme and tomatoes, then beef broth and meat; bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low; simmer until vegetables are no longer crunchy and flavors have blended, about 15 minutes. Add noodles; simmer until fully cooked, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in parsley, adjust seasonings, including salt and pepper to taste, and serve.
STEP BY STEP: Trimming the Meat Shank
If using shanks for your broth, cut the meat away from the bone in the largest possible pieces. Both meat and bones contribute flavor to the final product.