My favorite meal on a cold winter’s eve are lamb shanks, and …..One of the easiest and most delicious ways of preparing a plentiful dish to satisfy anyone’s hunger during a cold snap is to braise or slow cook a cut of meat. In particular using beef or lamb shanks are my chosen favorites for the great flavor but also for the convenience of being left to simmer in the oven for a couple of hours. When meat has been browned and and tucked into a heavy casserole with a hearty broth, sweet young vegetables and aromatics --fresh garlic, herbs thyme, parsley –they add an unforgettable succulence to this saucy dish. I serve this dish with creamy polenta or roast potatoes, and a hearty red wine.
Lamb Shanks in Red Wine
2-3 medium sized lamb shanks (about 3 lbs.)
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ½-2 cups hearty red wine
2 cups chicken or beef stock (preferably homemade)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
5 large cloves of garlic, mashed
3 medium sized carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
2 stalks of celery, cut into chunks
1 large onion, quartered
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 ½ cups canned tomatoes,
crushed Bouquet garni: Wrap in a pocket of cheesecloth: 3 springs fresh parsley, 2 springs fresh thyme, 2 bay leaves, whole peppercorns
Pre heat oven to 325 F. Heat two tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat in a large heavy duty casserole on the stovetop. Add the shanks to heated oil and turn and brown evenly on all sides until they are a rich dark crusty brown. Remove from the casserole and place on a platter.
Pour wine into a saucepan and bring to a simmer and reduce to about half. Add the broth to the wine, mix and set aside. Add the additional oil to the casserole and heat on medium and add carrot and celery chunks, and quartered onion. Sprinkle with salt and saute vegetables until slightly browned. Remove casserole from heat, add garlic and bouquet garni and nestle shanks into the pot with the vegetables, Add stock, wine and tomatoes to the casserole and return to medium heat on the stove.
Bring the mixture to a simmer, cover the casserole and place in the middle rack of a preheated oven for 2-21/2 hours. Remove from the oven when meat is falling off the bone. If the mixture has thickened, mix in a small amount of broth or water to loosen. Taste and correct seasoning to your preference.
