Spring Lamb Shanks Braised Recipes

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Coat a large Dutch oven generously with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Season the shanks generously with salt and add them to the pan. Brown well on all sides. This is an incredibly important step; do not rush it.
• Meanwhile, puree the onions, carrots, celery and garlic in a food processor until it becomes a coarse paste. Remove and set aside.
• Remove the shanks from the pan to a sheet tray. Discard the excess fat from the pan. Add a little more oil to coat the bottom of the pan and add the pureed veggies. Season with salt, to taste. Saute the veggies until they are very brown and aromatic, about 20 minutes. The brown veggies should form a sort of crust on the bottom of the pan, do not let this burn; it is where a lot of the flavor is! Don't rush this step either, since this is where you will develop the brown color and flavor.
• Add the tomato paste and brown for 5 minutes. Stir in the wine, chopped rosemary and thyme bundle. Stir frequently and cook until the wine has reduced by about half.
• Add the shanks back to the pot and pour in 3 to 4 cups of water. The shanks should be submersed, if they are not, add more water. Add the bay leaves to the pan, cover and put in the preheated oven. The cooking time will be about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Turn the shanks over about halfway through the cooking time. Check the shanks every 45 minutes or so. If the liquid has reduced too much add more water. Defat as you go.
• Remove the lid during the last 30 minutes of cooking time for maximum browning. When the shanks are done the meat should be incredibly tender and flavorful. Transfer to serving plates and garnish with Gremolata. Serve with Hard Polenta Cakes, if desired,
• Call yourself a superstar!!!
• In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and set aside until ready to use.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH SPRING VEGETABLES AND SPRING GREMOLATA

Steps:

• For lamb:
• Sprinkle lamb shanks generously with salt and pepper; dust with flour. Heat oil in heavy large deep pot over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, if necessary, add lamb to pot and cook until browned on all sides, turning often, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb to large bowl. Add onions, carrots, and celery to same pot; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste; stir 1 minute. Stir in broth, wine, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Return lamb to pot; bring to boil (liquid may not cover lamb completely). Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until lamb is very tender and begins to fall off bones, turning occasionally, about 3 hours.
• Using tongs, transfer lamb to platter. Discard bay leaves and parsley sprigs. Spoon off fat from surface of pan juices; discard. Using immersion blender, puree pan juices until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Return lamb shanks to pan juices. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.
• For gremolata:
• Mix all ingredients in small bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
• For vegetables:
• Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes; cook until tender, about 18 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to medium bowl. Add carrots to same pot; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer carrots to bowl with potatoes. Add sugar snap peas to same pot; cook 1 minute. Drain. Add to bowl with potatoes and carrots. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Bring lamb and pan juices to simmer over medium heat until heated through.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add all vegetables; sauté about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer lamb and pan juices to large platter or bowl. Surround with vegetables; scatter pea tendrils over vegetables. Sprinkle lamb with gremolata and serve.
• Ingredient tip:
• Green garlic has a more delicate flavor than mature garlic. The tops of green garlic look like green onions; the root ends are white and light purple. Look for green garlic at farmers' markets during the spring months.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large, deep Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper and cook, in batches if necessary, turning with tongs, until well browned, about 10 minutes each batch. Remove the lamb shanks with tongs to a plate and set aside.
• Stir the onions, carrots, rosemary, bay leaves, and garlic into the dutch oven and cook, stirring, until the onions are very soft, about 5 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups of the wine and deglaze the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning.
• Return the lamb shanks to the pot and braise the mixture, tightly covered, in the oven for 1 hour. Uncover and braise for 2 more hours, turning the shanks every 30 minutes. Stir in the turnips and the remaining 1/2 cup of the wine, and continue to braise, in the oven for 30 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• While the lamb shanks are braising, make the gremolata: chop together the rosemary, orange zest, and garlic. Place each lamb shank on a serving plate, top with the vegetables, sprinkle with gremolata and serve immediately.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, brown lamb in oil; remove and set aside. Add the onion and garlic; saute until tender. Stir in flour; cook and stir for 1 minute. Add bouillon and water; stir to dissolve. , Return lamb to pan. Add remaining ingredients; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours or until meat is tender.

SPRING LAMB SHANKS, BRAISED

Steps:

• In a large, heavy covered casserole or roasting pan, large enough to hold the lamb shanks, heat half the oil. Add the lamb shanks, a few at a time, and brown them well on all sides. Remove them from the pan.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Add the remaining oil to the pan, lower the heat and saute the onion, leeks and celery until they are soft and lightly browned. Stir in all but one-half teaspoon of the garlic, then add the wine. Simmer for a few minutes, scraping the browned particles from the bottom of the pan.
• Stir in the rosemary, parsley sprigs and bay leaves. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, then return the lamb to the pan. Cover and place in the oven to bake until the lamb is very tender, about three hours.
• While the lamb is baking, mix the remaining garlic with the minced parsley and lemon peel and set aside.
• When the lamb is tender, remove it from the pan. Bring the liquid to a simmer on top of the stove and taste it for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary. Dissolve the potato starch or cornstarch in the cold water and stir it in to thicken the sauce, then stir in the lemon juice. Return the lamb to the pan and baste it with the sauce. Keep warm until ready to serve or, if desired, prepare it in advance and reheat it just before serving.
• Transfer the lamb to a platter and spoon the sauce over it. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley, garlic and lemon peel mixture and serve.

BEER-BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper.
• Heat olive oil in a deep-sided pan or pot over medium-high heat. Add lamb and cook, turning as needed, until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and reduce heat to medium.
• Place chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in the pan. Season with a large pinch of salt. Cook and stir until vegetable juices start to come out, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to coat, about 1 minute. Pour in beer and stir in rosemary. Raise heat to high and bring sauce mixture to a simmer.
• Toss lamb shanks in with the sauce mixture. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until lamb is nearly fork-tender, flipping lamb after 1 hour, about 2 hours. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.
• Skim the fat off the top of the sauce, if desired. Cover and bring lamb to a simmer over low heat. Flip and continue simmering until meat is fork-tender and nearly falling off the bone, about 45 minutes. Place lamb shanks in a bowl to keep warm.
• Bring sauce to a boil over high heat. Boil until reduced by half but not too thick, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Plate the lamb shanks and spoon sauce on top.

SPRING LAMB SHANKS BRAISED IN WHITE WINE

Steps:

• Heat half the oil in a large, heavy, covered casserole or roasting pan, large enough to hold the lamb shanks. Add the lamb shanks, a few at a time, and brown them well on all sides over medium-high heat. Remove from the pan.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Add the remaining oil to the pan, lower the heat and saute the onion, leeks and celery until they are soft and lightly browned. Stir in all but 1/2 tsp of the garlic, then add the wine. Simmer for a few minutes, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Stir in the rosemary, parsley sprigs and bay leaves. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, then return the lamb to the pan. Cover and place in oven to bake until the lamb is very tender, about 3 hours.
• While the lamb is baking, mix the remaining 1/2 tsp garlic with the minced parsley and lemon peel and set aside.
• When the lamb is tender, remove it from the pan. Bring the liquid to simmer on top of the stove and taste it for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper, if necessary. Dissolve the potato starch in the cold water and stir it in to thicken the sauce, then stir in the lemon juice.
• Return the lamb to the pan and baste it with the sauce. Can be prepared in advance and reheated before serving. Transfer the lamb to a platter and spoon the sauce over it. Sprinkle with the minced parsley, garlic and lemon peel mixture and serve.