Katies Lamb Shanks Recipes

LAMB SHANK TAGINE WITH DATES

Steps:

• Trim shanks of excess fat, then season generously with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine garlic, fresh ginger, paprika and cumin, and smear over shanks. Leave shanks at room temperature to season for at least an hour. (Or you can wrap and refrigerate several hours, or overnight; return to room temperature before proceeding.)
• In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, saffron and cayenne, and sprinkle with salt. Cook for 5 minutes, until somewhat softened. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Lower heat to medium, add seasoned shanks and let cook with onions, turning occasionally, until meat and onions are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Add cinnamon stick, dried ginger, chopped dates and water to barely cover (about 31/2 to 4 cups) to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover pot with a tightfitting lid and place in oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn heat down to 350 degrees. Check sauce and add water if level of liquid is below meat. Continue baking for another hour, checking liquid level occasionally, then test meat by probing with skewer or paring knife. It should be quite tender and almost falling from bone, but cooked no further. (Tagine may be prepared to this point up to two days ahead. Reheat gently in a covered pot on the stovetop, adding a little more water as necessary.)
• Remove meat from pot and place in deep, wide serving bowl. Skim off any surface fat from cooking liquid in pot. Add whole dates to pot and simmer for a few minutes to reduce sauce slightly. Pour sauce and dates over meat. To serve, garnish with raisins, pomegranate seeds and cilantro sprigs.

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.

LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• For the brine:
• Place the water, sugar, and salt into a large container. Carefully add the lamb shanks and soak for 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove shanks from the brine and pat dry. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic, to taste.
• Coat shanks with flour and saute in 2 to 3-ounces of virgin olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes each side.
• Place the shanks in a roasting pan with the crushed tomatoes.
• In same saute pan that the shanks were seared in, saute the carrots, celery stalks, onion, fresh fennel and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and add to the roasting pan.
• Deglaze saute pan with 1 cup each red wine and orange juice. Reduce by half and add to roasting pan.
• Add 1/2 cup each fresh Italian parsley and fresh oregano to roasting pan. Cover and roast in oven for 2 hours or until tender. After 1 hour, turn shanks and cover for remaining time, making sure shanks are covered in the gravy.
• Garnish with fresh oregano sprigs and parsley and your favorite Italian cheese. Best served with polenta!

KATIE'S LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Salt and pepper lamb shanks rub with garlic.In a large heavy Dutch oven with a tight cover place carrots, onion and bay leaf. Add lamb shanks.In a small bowl combine tomato sauce, water, oregano and thyme add to pan. Cover and bake for 2 1/2 hours.Add potatoes. Cover and bake 1 hour longer or until meat and potatoes are tender. Transfer shanks and vegetables to a heated platter cover and keep warm.Discard bay leaf and skim fat from surface of pan juices. In a small bowl mix water and cornstarch until smooth. Stir into juices in pan. Stirring over medium heat, bring to a boil and boil for 1 to 2 minutes or until thickened. Pour some sauce over the meat and vegetables serve remaining sauce separately.