Photo by Theresa Stanley
Recipe provided by chef Jason Ritchey, The Village Idiot
While a delicious, inexpensive cut of meat, lamb shanks – the lower part of the lamb, from the knee down – are also a cut that tends to intimidate many home cooks. This approach is an easy cooking method that will work for most tough, lean cuts of meat, such as lamb shanks, beef short ribs or roast.
Braised meats are great served with roasted vegetables and mashed potatoes, grits or polenta. At the downtown restaurant The Village Idiot, this dish is served with roasted carrots, tomato gravy, savory garlic oatmeal and horseradish gremolata.
Lamb Shanks:
• 4 lamb fore shanks
• Salt and ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 3 cups vegetable stock (if preferred, substitute another
type of stock, wine or beer)
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 F. Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large, deep, oven-proof sautè pan until very hot. Brown the shanks on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add onions, celery and carrots to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables have softened and started to brown; approximately three to five minutes. Add stock, garlic, bay leaf and shanks, then bring to boil. Scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Cover pan with heat-proof lid (or foil) then transfer to the oven and cook about two hours. Meat should be tender and close to falling off the bone.
Let the lamb shanks cool slightly then remove from pan along with the bay leaf. The braising liquid in the pan can be blended to use as sauce after seasoning with salt and pepper or strained to be used in reheating the shanks. Serves 4-6.
Dark Tomato Gravy:
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 slices bacon, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups canned crushed tomatoes
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon black pepper, coarsely ground
• Salt, to taste
Directions:
Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add bacon and cook until almost through, rendering most of its fat, about three minutes.
Add onions and garlic. Sautè until softened and starting to brown; approximately five minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, molasses, dark soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil, and reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.