Braised Lamb With Spinach Recipes

EASY BRAISED LAMB SHANKS RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small bowl, add all the spice mix ingredients and mix to combine.
• Pat the lamb shanks dry and season with the spice mix on all sides.
• In a large Dutch oven pot like this one, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the lamb shanks on all sides (about 8 mins or so). Transfer the lamb shanks to a large tray or bowl for now. Carefully dispose of extra fat in a separate heat-safe bowl, and return the pot to heat.
• Now add the onions, celery, carrots and potatoes. Saute for 5-7 minutes on medium-high, or until the vegetables gain some color. Add red wine, scrape the pot of brown bits. Cook briefly so that the wine reduces a bit.
• Add the broth, tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, thyme, and rosemary. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Return lamb shanks back to the pot; press down to submerge. Boil for 10 minutes. Turn heat off.
• Cover the pot and transfer to the 350 degrees F-heated oven. Cook in the oven for 2 1/2 hours (It's a good idea to check periodically through cooking just in case you need to add a little more liquid. When the shanks finish cooking, the liquid will have reduced to about 1/3 of what it was when you started.)
• While the lamb shanks are cooking, prepare rice according to this recipe, or prepare 2-3 cups of orzo pasta according to package instructions.
• Serve the lamb shanks hot with a little of the veggies and braising sauce on top of rice or orzo pasta. You might also like to prepare a side salad like this 3-ingredient Mediterranean salad or Fattoush. Enjoy!

LAMB WITH HERB PASTE AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 425º. Remove as much of the surface fat as is practical from the lamb. Combine the parsley, dill, oil, anchovies and garlic in a food processor (if you're not using the anchovies, add some salt). Purée, adding a little water if necessary. Rub the lamb with this mixture.
• Put the lamb on a rack in a roasting pan with about 1/2 cup of water. Roast for 30 minutes, then check; if the lamb threatens to burn, turn the heat down to 350º; otherwise leave it at 425º. If the bottom dries out (the rendering lamb fat should keep it moist), add a little more water. After about 1 hour (total), check the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer. When it reaches 130 for medium rare (125 for very rare) in its thickest part (check it in several places), it's done. Total cooking time will be less than 1 1/2 hours. Remove and let it rest.
• Pour off and reserve all but 2 tablespoons of the fat and put the pan over a burner (or two, if it fits better). Toast the bread crumbs over low heat, stirring and seasoning with salt and pepper until they're lightly browned. Remove; add another couple of tablespoons of the fat to the pan. Add the pine nuts, raisins and spinach and cook over high heat, stirring frequently, until the spinach is very tender and most of the liquid has evaporated. Carve the lamb and serve it on a bed of spinach, sprinkled with the bread crumbs.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH ROSEMARY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. In a large, deep pan (I like to use my Le Creuset dutch oven) over a medium-high flame, warm the olive oil and then brown the shanks on all sides, about 5 minutes in all.
• Transfer the shanks to a dish.
• Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pan and cook until onions are translucent.
• Add the wine to the pan, and bring to a simmer, stirring up any bits off the bottom.
• Add the stock, rosemary, garlic, bay leaf and shanks to the pan and bring to a boil.
• Place the lid on the pan, and put it in the preheated oven. Cook about 2 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice and a nice salad.

INSTANT POT BRAISED LAMB WITH WHITE BEANS AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Pour 2 Tbsp. oil into Instant Pot and heat on Sauté setting on high until shimmering. Season lamb chops on all sides with pepper and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Working in two batches, cook lamb in Instant Pot until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• Add onion and garlic to hot oil in pot and cook, still on high Sauté setting and stirring occasionally, until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Pour in wine and cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pot, until wine is slightly reduced and steam no longer smells boozy, 2-3 minutes. Pour in 2 cups hot water. Nestle chops and rosemary sprigs into pot, arranging in an even layer. Turn off Sauté setting. Lock on lid and cook at high pressure 20 minutes, then release pressure manually.
• Transfer lamb to a large bowl; discard rosemary stems. Return heat to high Sauté setting and reduce braising liquid slightly while you shred lamb into bite-size pieces; remove and discard bones. Stir lamb and beans back into liquid in pot, then turn off heat. Add spinach and remaining 1/2 tsp. salt and stir until spinach is just wilted. Stir in lemon juice.
• Divide lamb mixture among bowls. Drizzle with oil and serve with lemon wedges and bread alongside (if using).

BRAISED-LAMB SHANK SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• Prepare lamb:
• Preheat oven to 450°F.
• Put lamb shanks in a large metal roasting pan, then rub with oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange onion wedges around lamb. Roast lamb in middle of oven 40 minutes. Turn shanks over, scatter with herb sprigs, and roast 40 minutes more.
• Pour wine, broth, and water into roasting pan. Cover pan tightly with foil and braise lamb until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer shanks to a plate and remove and discard skins from onions. Pour cooking liquid (including onions) into a large glass measure (do not clean roasting pan).
• Prepare potatoes and boil carrots while lamb roasts:
• Pierce each potato once with a fork and bake on rack in lower third of oven until cooked through, 45 to 50 minutes.
• Cool potatoes 10 minutes, then halve lengthwise and scoop out flesh. Force warm potatoes through ricer into a bowl. Stir in salt, milk, and pepper to taste.
• Cook carrots in boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Rinse under cold running water to stop cooking.
• Make gravy:
• Skim fat from cooking liquid (you'll have about 2 1/2 cups broth). Whisk together 1 cup broth and flour in a large bowl to make a thin paste, then whisk in remaining broth (including onions). Set roasting pan across 2 burners and pour broth mixture into pan. Boil over moderate heat, whisking, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
• Cut lamb meat from bones, then tear meat into bite-size pieces. Stir meat into gravy.
• Assemble and bake pie:
• Reduce oven to 350°F.
• Spoon lamb-shank mixture into a 12- by 3-inch oval gratin dish or a 2 1/2- to 3-quart shallow baking dish, spreading evenly. Scatter carrots over lamb, then top with creamed spinach, spreading evenly. Top spinach with mashed potatoes, spreading evenly to edges of dish to cover filling completely. Make swirl patterns on surface of potatoes with back of spoon, then drizzle with melted butter.
• Put baking dish in a foil-lined shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pan to catch drips and bake until top is golden and filling is bubbling, about 1 hour.

SPICED BRAISED LAMB WITH CARROTS AND SPINACH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Pat lamb dry and sprinkle with pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet (preferably cast-iron) over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown lamb in 5 batches, turning occasionally, about 4 minutes per batch, adding more oil as needed. Transfer as browned to an ovenproof 6- to 7-quart wide heavy pot.
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, then cook onion and celery in remaining fat over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and coriander and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add 1 cup water and deglaze skillet by boiling, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, 1 minute, then pour mixture over lamb in pot.
• Pour juice from can of tomatoes into stew, then coarsely chop tomatoes and add to stew along with remaining cup water and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil (liquid should almost cover meat).
• Cover pot and braise lamb in middle of oven 1 1/2 hours. Stir in carrots and continue to braise until carrots and lamb are tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer pot to top of stove and, working over moderately high heat, stir in spinach by handfuls to soften it. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until spinach is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

BRAISED-LAMB SHANK SHEPHERD'S PIE WITH CREAMED SPINACH

Steps:

• Prepare lamb: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper and brown them in batches, transferring each to a plate when browned. Add onions and herb sprigs and cook, stirring, until lightly browned and soft, about 10 minutes. Return the shanks to the Dutch oven with the wine, broth, and water and bring to a boil. Cover, transfer to the oven, and braise until fork tender, about 2 hours. Transfer shanks to a plate. Discard herb sprigs. Pour cooking liquid (including onions) into a large glass measure.
• Prepare potatoes and boil carrots while lamb roasts: Pierce each potato once with a fork and bake on rack in lower third of oven until cooked through, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool potatoes 10 minutes, then halve lengthwise and scoop out flesh. Force warm potatoes through ricer into a bowl. Stir in milk, and salt, pepper, to taste.
• Cook carrots in boiling salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Rinse under cold running water to stop cooking.
• Make gravy: Skim fat from cooking liquid (you'll have about 2 1/2 cups broth). Put the cooking liquid in a saucepan and bring to boil. Knead the flour and softened butter into a paste and whisk it into the liquid. Return the gravy to a boil to thicken and simmer, whisking occasionally, for 5 minutes.
• Cut lamb meat from bones, then tear meat into bite-size pieces. Stir meat into gravy and set aside.
• Assemble and bake pie: Spoon lamb-shank mixture into a 12 by 3-inch oval gratin dish or a 2 1/2 to 3-quart shallow baking dish, spreading evenly. Scatter carrots over lamb, then top with creamed spinach, spreading evenly. Top spinach with mashed potatoes, spreading evenly to edges of dish to cover filling completely. Make swirl patterns on surface of potatoes with back of spoon, then drizzle with the melted butter.
• Put baking dish in a foil-lined shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pan to catch drips and bake until top is golden and filling is bubbling, about 1 hour.
• Cook spinach according to package directions. Whisk in Parmesan, salt, nutmeg, and pepper, to taste.