Braised Lamb Shanks With Merlot Prunes Recipes

BRAISED LAMB WITH RED WINE AND PRUNES

Steps:

• Cut lamb into 2-inch cubes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and brown in a large skillet over medium-high heat; remove.
• Add onion, garlic, prunes, ginger, cinnamon, salt and pepper; cook until fragrant. Add wine, stock or water and browned lamb. When the liquid boils, lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. Garnish: Parsley.

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!

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Heat 4 tablespoons oil in large wide ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add lamb in single layer; cook until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Transfer lamb to rimmed baking sheet. Add 2 tablespoons oil to pot. Add onion and carrot and sauté until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add prunes, garlic, and cardamom and stir 2 minutes. Add both broths and bring to boil. Return lamb to pot, cover, and transfer to oven.
• Braise lamb until tender, about 1 3/4 hours. Transfer lamb to rimmed baking sheet. Tilt pan and spoon off fat. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Return lamb to pot, turning to coat. DO AHEAD: Lamb can be made 2 days ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, cover, and keep chilled. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing. Place lamb shanks on plates. Spoon sauce over.

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.

SLOW-COOKED LAMB WITH PRUNES AND DRIED APRICOTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 250 degrees. In 7-quart flameproof casserole or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat vegetable oil until hot but not smoking. Sprinkle salt and pepper generously over lamb shanks. Working in batches if necessary to keep them from touching during the initial searing, add shanks to pan (they should sizzle the moment they hit the pan). Cook lamb shanks until well browned on all sides, 10 to 15 minutes each side. Set browned lamb aside in a large bowl.
• Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the sumac, and stir to combine; set the mixture aside.
• Add onion to the casserole, and cook over medium heat until softened and golden, 5 to 10 minutes. Add reserved stock mixture, apricot nectar, cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice, parsley, cilantro, tarragon, mint, and paprika; stir to combine.
• Return the reserved browned lamb shanks to the casserole. Place over medium-high heat, and bring the liquid in the casserole to a boil. Cover the pan, and transfer the casserole to the oven. Cook the mixture until the meat is tender, about 2 hours. Check the casserole in the oven occasionally to ensure a gentle simmer of the sauce, adjusting the heat of the oven or the height of the oven rack as necessary. The actual cooking time will vary depending on the size of the lamb shanks you started with. The meat should be very tender but should not fall off the bone, yet. Add the dried apricots, prunes, and chopped red bell pepper to the casserole, and continue to cook in the oven until the fruit has softened, about 1/2 hour more.
• Remove the cooked lamb shanks, apricots, prunes, and bell pepper from the casserole, and place them in the bowl with the lamb. Cover them with aluminum foil to keep warm, and set aside.
• Place the casserole over medium heat, and simmer until the liquid is thickened and reduced, about 15 minutes. Return the reserved lamb shanks, apricots, prunes, and bell pepper to the casserole just long enough to heat them through again, and stir them lightly to coat them with the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Serve lamb shanks and sauce with couscous with mint and lemon.

LAMB SHANKS IN RED WINE WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Place prunes in a bowl, add wine and set aside. Heat oil in a 6-quart casserole or sauté pan. Add lamb and brown on all sides over medium heat. Remove. Stir in onion and garlic. Sauté on low until soft. Stir in bell pepper, cumin and paprika. Sauté a few minutes. Return lamb to pan, season with salt and pepper. Add thyme, prunes and wine. Cover and simmer 1 hour.
• Turn shanks in pan and baste. Add zest and cayenne. Cover and cook on low about 45 minutes more, until lamb is tender when pierced with a fork. Check seasoning. Serve with couscous.

LAMB SHANKS WITH MERLOT AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Trim off any excess fat from the lamb shanks.
• Sprinkle the shanks with the salt and pepper.
• Spread the flour on a plate and turn the shanks in the flour, shaking off any excess.
• In a large, heavy ovenproof pot over high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil.
• Add the shanks (in batches, if necessary) and brown well on all sides, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the shanks to a plate.
• Wipe out the pot.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pot over medium-high heat.
• Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, 3-4 minutes.
• Return the shanks to the pot along with the potatoes, carrots, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, wine, and stock.
• Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to the oven.
• Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and continue to bake until the Iamb is very tender, about 30 minutes longer.
• Transfer the shanks to a platter.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer the potatoes and carrots to the platter.
• Cover and keep warm.
• Using a large spoon, skim off any fat from the surface of the sauce remaining in the pot.
• Lift out and discard the bay leaves and the thyme.
• Place the pot over high heat and bring to a boil.
• Cook the sauce until it reduces and is lightly thickened, 3-5 minutes.
• Pour the sauce around the meat.
• Sprinkle the meat and vegetables with the parsley and mint.