Spring is a great time for lamb and for Easter I often make it. I've posted previously about my rack of lamb which is a holiday favorite, but this year I'm making lamb shanks.
I like them braised in a red wine reduction with some vegetables and of course a healthy does of rosemary. Not only will it smell wonderful while cooking, you'll be left with a flavorful sauce.
In my recipe below I say to remove the lamb fell. The fell is a thin, papery bluish membrane on top of the outer layer of fat in lamb. Very young lambs won’t have developed a “fell” but most lamb shanks of a pound or so each, will have it and I prefer to remove it. It is almost always removed by butchers from small cuts of lamb, such as chops, but is often left on the larger cuts like the shanks. Opinions vary widely — and firmly — as to whether it should be left on the meat during cooking. Some say it helps to hold the meat together while it cooks, and other say it leaves a strong gamey flavor. I remove it and don't find that the lamb shanks fall apart while cooking.
In the recipe below I'm making 4 lamb shanks, one per person. You can easily increase the number to 6 or even 8, but you will need a larger roasting pan as the shanks should sit in a single layer in the oven. Increase liquid amount as necessary to insure shanks are nearly, but not completely covered, when they are placed in the oven.
Ingredients
4 lamb shanks
salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, sliced thick
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
2 medium ribs celery, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces mushrooms (optional)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2-3 large branches of fresh or frozen rosemary
1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
2 cups dry red wine
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Ground black pepper
Instructions
Using a shaft thin knife, trim the lamb shanks of excess fat and fell (the thin, white papery covering. See note above.) Slip your knife under the fell closest to the bare bone end, which you can use as a handle, and run it up under the fell removing as much of it as possible and discard the opaque tissue.
Heat oven to 350F degrees. Sprinkle shanks with salt. Heat oil in a large, Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add shanks to pan and brown on all sides, 5-7 minutes. Using tongs, transfer shanks to a plate when browned.
Add onions to the Dutch oven with a pinch of salt. Cook for 2 minutes while scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, tomato paste, a light sprinkling of salt and cook to soften vegetables slightly, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add red wine and bring to a simmer, then add the chicken stock, optional mushrooms if using, and the rosemary and thyme. Heat until just starting to boil. Turn off and add shanks to the pot in a single layer.
Cover the pot and transfer to the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and continue braising until shank tops are browned, about 20-30 minutes. Turn shanks and continue braising until remaining side has browned and shanks are tender.
Remove pan from oven; let shanks rest for at least 15 minutes. Carefully transfer shanks with tongs to serving platter or plates. Add a few of the vegetables around the shanks. Tent to keep warm.
Strain the remaining vegetable sauce mixture through a fine sieve. Discard the solids. Skim any excess fat from the liquid and adjust seasoning as necessary. Use the juice as a sauce for the lamb shanks and/or mashed potatoes. Serve.
I like them braised in a red wine reduction with some vegetables and of course a healthy does of rosemary. Not only will it smell wonderful while cooking, you'll be left with a flavorful sauce.
In my recipe below I say to remove the lamb fell. The fell is a thin, papery bluish membrane on top of the outer layer of fat in lamb. Very young lambs won’t have developed a “fell” but most lamb shanks of a pound or so each, will have it and I prefer to remove it. It is almost always removed by butchers from small cuts of lamb, such as chops, but is often left on the larger cuts like the shanks. Opinions vary widely — and firmly — as to whether it should be left on the meat during cooking. Some say it helps to hold the meat together while it cooks, and other say it leaves a strong gamey flavor. I remove it and don't find that the lamb shanks fall apart while cooking.
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| Platter of Lamb Shanks and Vegetables |
In the recipe below I'm making 4 lamb shanks, one per person. You can easily increase the number to 6 or even 8, but you will need a larger roasting pan as the shanks should sit in a single layer in the oven. Increase liquid amount as necessary to insure shanks are nearly, but not completely covered, when they are placed in the oven.
Ingredients
4 lamb shanks
salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 large onion, sliced thick
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
2 medium ribs celery, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces mushrooms (optional)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2-3 large branches of fresh or frozen rosemary
1 teaspoon dried or fresh thyme
2 cups dry red wine
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Ground black pepper
Instructions
Using a shaft thin knife, trim the lamb shanks of excess fat and fell (the thin, white papery covering. See note above.) Slip your knife under the fell closest to the bare bone end, which you can use as a handle, and run it up under the fell removing as much of it as possible and discard the opaque tissue.
Heat oven to 350F degrees. Sprinkle shanks with salt. Heat oil in a large, Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add shanks to pan and brown on all sides, 5-7 minutes. Using tongs, transfer shanks to a plate when browned.
Add onions to the Dutch oven with a pinch of salt. Cook for 2 minutes while scraping up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, tomato paste, a light sprinkling of salt and cook to soften vegetables slightly, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add red wine and bring to a simmer, then add the chicken stock, optional mushrooms if using, and the rosemary and thyme. Heat until just starting to boil. Turn off and add shanks to the pot in a single layer.
Cover the pot and transfer to the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and continue braising until shank tops are browned, about 20-30 minutes. Turn shanks and continue braising until remaining side has browned and shanks are tender.
Remove pan from oven; let shanks rest for at least 15 minutes. Carefully transfer shanks with tongs to serving platter or plates. Add a few of the vegetables around the shanks. Tent to keep warm.
Strain the remaining vegetable sauce mixture through a fine sieve. Discard the solids. Skim any excess fat from the liquid and adjust seasoning as necessary. Use the juice as a sauce for the lamb shanks and/or mashed potatoes. Serve.
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