Orange Lamb Shanks Recipes

SPICED LAMB SHANKS WITH BLOOD ORANGE RELISH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Heat a large Dutch oven (preferably oval) or soup pot with a lid, over high heat. Add half the olive oil and heat. Pat the lamb shanks dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper. Add 2 of the lamb shanks to the hot oil and brown on all sides, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer shanks to a plate. Repeat with the remaining olive oil and shanks. Add the garlic, celery, carrots and onions and to the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to strip the zest (just the orange skin, not the white pith underneath) from the orange in large pieces. Halve and juice the orange and set aside.
• Add the red wine to the vegetables and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits that cling to the pot. Stir in the orange zest, currants, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until the wine is syrupy, about 5 minutes.
• Cut a square of cheesecloth and place the parsley stems, thyme, bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon, juniper berries, peppercorns and star anise in the center. Tie into a bundle with kitchen twine. Add the spice bundle, chicken broth, orange juice and the shanks, along with any collected juices, to the pot, bring the mixture to a boil, cover, and transfer to the oven. Cook about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, turning the shanks occasionally, until the meat is just falling off the bone.
• Transfer the shanks to a plate. Scoop the vegetables from the liquid using a slotted spoon and set aside. Boil the cooking liquid over high heat until thickened, about 15 minutes. Add the lemon juice, and season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste. Return the shanks to the sauce and warm over medium heat, turning to coat evenly.
• To serve, mound some of the polenta in the centers of 4 heated dinner plates. Top with a shank, and spoon some sauce and vegetables over and around the meat. Spoon a bit of Blood Orange Relish over each shank and serve immediately.
• Cut both ends from the oranges. Stand them on a flat end and cut away all of the peel and white pith. Quarter them top to bottom. Lay the wedges on their sides and slice them thinly crosswise. Slice the fennel crosswise into very thin slices.
• Gently toss the oranges, fennel, apple, parsley, fennel seeds and vinegar together in a small bowl. Season with the salt and pepper. (This can be made a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to serve.)
• Bring the milk, chicken broth and salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Whisk in the polenta in a slow stream and cook, whisking constantly, until the polenta thickens, 3 to 5 minutes. When large bubbles begin to surface, remove from heat and stir in the cheeses and pepper. Taste and season with additional salt, if necessary.

ORANGE BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• In a suitable casserole dish, sweat the diced vegetables in some of the olive oil without browning until tender.
• Add the thyme, bay leaves, garlic, tomato, wine and lamb stock or water, along with most of the orange zest and juice (retain a few pinches of zest and 1 tbsp of juice).
• Bring to the boil and lower to a gentle simmer.
• Heat a little more olive oil in a separate pan and brown the lamb shanks on all sides, seasoning with a little salt and pepper as you go.
• Transfer to the casserole dish and cover with its lid.
• Transfer to the oven and cook for approx 2hours or until the meat is completely tender and coming off the bone.
• Remove the shanks from the pan and keep warm while you finish the sauce.
• Skim off some of the fat that is floating on it. Taste for seasoning and to assess its intensity, boil to reduce if you think it needs it.
• Stir in the reserved juice to refresh the citrus flavour.
• Serve one lamb shank on each warmed plate with a generous amount of sauce spooned over.
• Sprinkle each shank with a little parsley and a pinch of the reserved zest.

LAMB SHANKS BRAISED WITH ANISE AND ORANGE

Steps:

• Finely grind star anise in spice grinder or in mortar with pestle. Rub half of ground star anise over lamb shanks. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add lamb to pot; brown on all sides, about 12 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb to bowl. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pot; add onions, celery, carrots and garlic and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Return lamb to pot. Add all stock, orange juice, peel and remaining star anise. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until lamb is tender, about 1 hour 45 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over medium heat before continuing.)
• Transfer lamb to large bowl. Cover with foil. Working in batches, transfer cooking liquid and vegetables to processor; puree until smooth. Return liquid to pot. Boil until liquid is reduced to 6 cups, about 20 minutes. Mix in honey. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour over lamb and serve.

SPICED LAMB SHANKS WITH ORANGE AND HONEY

Steps:

• Cook the lamb shanks: Season shanks generously with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large pot and add cumin seed, fennel seed, coriander seed, onion, cloves, thyme and bay leaf. Pour in enough water to cover shanks, place pot over high heat and bring to a boil. Put on the lid, reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until meat is very tender when probed with the tip of a paring knife.
• Remove shanks from pot and place on a baking sheet to cool. Strain the broth into a bowl, and skim off any rising fat. Measure 4 1/2 cups broth and set aside. When shanks are cool enough to handle, gently remove the bone from each with your hands, leaving the meat in one or two large pieces.
• Make the sauce: In a large, heavy-bottomed pot, warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until softened and slightly browned. Add garlic, saffron, cayenne, tomato paste and honey and stir to incorporate.
• Add orange zest, orange juice, broth and wine to the pot, and bring to a boil. Turn heat to a brisk simmer and return the meat to the pot. Simmer for 20 minutes, until broth has reduced by an inch or so. Taste broth and adjust seasoning. Add arrowroot mixture and cook for a minute or two, until slightly thickened.
• Meanwhile, cook the vegetables: In a separate pot, melt butter over medium heat. Fill the pot with 1 inch of water. Add carrots and turnips, salt lightly, cover and turn heat to high. Cook for 10 minutes, or until probed with the tip of a paring knife.
• To serve, transfer meat and sauce to a large, deep platter or serving dish. With a slotted spoon arrange vegetables around the meat. Sprinkle with parsley, mint, dill and basil.

ORANGE LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• 1. Brown the lamb shanks in hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat; drain.
• 2. Combine the orange zest and the next 4 ingredients in a small bowl; our over the lamb. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour or until tender, turningt occasionally.
• 3. Remove the lamb from the skillet, reserving the liquid. Serve the lamb over the rice, spooning the liquid over.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS IN ORANGE-MERLOT SAUCE (PASSOVER)

Steps:

• Combine the basil, oregano, rosemary, orange juice, orange zest, Merlot and garlic and pour over the rinsed lamb shanks in a wide glass dish (shanks should be in a single layer).
• Turn the shanks to coat and cover.
• Marinate 2 hours at room temperature, turning the meat every half hour or marinate in the refrigerator, turning meat occasionally.
• Remove the shanks from the marinade and dry them with paper towels. Reserve the marinade.
• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Season the lamb with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Heat a large skillet over high heat for 20 seconds. Add the olive oil and heat for 10 seconds then lower the heat to medium-high and add the lamb shanks.
• Cook each side for approximately 2 minutes until browned on all sides.
• Place shanks in a single layer in a casserole dish and pour the chicken stock into the hot pan.
• Scrape up any meat particles, add them to the reserved marinade and pour over the shanks in the casserole and cover with a lid (use foil if no lid).
• Put casserole in the preheated oven and immediately reduce the heat to 350 degrees F. (The hot oven will sear the meat initially, but the mixture needs to cook at a lower temperature or the meat will toughen.).
• Roast for 45 minutes then baste and cook for another 1-1 1/2 hours, or until the meat is very tender and easily pulls away from the bone.
• If the liquid has reduced greatly, add 1/2 cup of water to the pan.
• Remove the shanks to a serving platter and keep warm.
• If the gravy is too watery, boil the liquid down 5-10 minutes, or until it is the consistency of tomato sauce.
• Drizzle some of the sauce over the shanks and serve.

ORANGE LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• In large frypan or saucepan, I use my cast iron dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat, brown lamb on all sides.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Drain off fat.
• In bowl, combine orange rind and juice, teriyaki sauce, garlic and curry powder, pour over lamb.
• Bring to boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer, turning occasionally, for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until lamb is tender.
• Transfer to plate, tent with foil and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, skim fat from pan juices.
• In bowl, whisk flour into 1/4 cup of the pan juices, whisk back into pan and simmer, whisking for about 5 minutes or until slightly thickened.
• Serve over lamb.
• Garnish with orange slices and parsley.