
Braised Lamb Shanks with Rosemary
Ingredients:
- 4 lamb shanks, external fat trimmed
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2 Tbs. olive oil
- 2 yellow onions, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 cups full-bodied red wine
- 1 cup beef stock
- 1 Tbs. dried rosemary
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed with the side
of a knife - 1 bay leaf
Directions:
Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. In a large, deep sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil until nearly smoking. Working in batches if needed, brown the shanks on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a platter.
Add the onions, celery and carrots to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are golden and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the wine and return the pan to medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Add the stock, rosemary, garlic, bay leaf and shanks and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, transfer to the oven and cook until the meat is almost falling off the bone, about 2 hours. Using tongs, transfer the shanks to a large serving bowl.
Remove the bay leaf from the cooking liquid. Using a blender or a stick blender, puree the liquid and solids until smooth. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Pour some of the sauce over the shanks and pass the rest alongside.