Tom Valentis Lamb Shanks Recipes

LAMB SHANKS WITH TOMATOES AND FRESH HERBS

Steps:

• Mix first 6 ingredients in small bowl; rub all over lamb. Let stand 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat oil in large ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Add lamb and sauté until brown, turning with tongs, about 12 minutes; transfer to plate. Reduce heat to medium. Add capocollo and stir 1 minute. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cover and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Mix in garlic; cook 1 minute. Mix in lemon peel strips, bay leaves, and thyme. Add wine and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Add tomatoes and broth. Return lamb to pot. Bring to boil; cover and transfer pot to oven.
• Cook lamb until just tender, turning occasionally, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove pot from oven. Tilt pot and spoon off fat that rises to top of sauce. Place pot over medium heat and boil uncovered until sauce reduces enough to coat spoon and lamb is very tender, about 30 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Discard lemon peel and bay leaves. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool 30 minutes, chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over low heat before continuing.)
• Mix parsley, grated lemon peel, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in small bowl for gremolata. Transfer lamb to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle with gremolata and serve.

HUNTER-STYLE GRILLADES

Steps:

• Cut beef and veal into 2-inch pieces. Combine flour, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl. Place each piece of meat between two sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound meat to 1/4-inch thickness with flat side of a meat pounder, turning meat over occasionally.
• Lightly coat each piece of meat with seasoned flour. Heat olive oil in a wide 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté meat (working in batches if necessary), stirring constantly and turning over, until evenly and lightly browned on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove meat from pan and set aside.
• Add onion, bell pepper, celery, and mushrooms and cook, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from bottom and side of pot, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Add tomatoes and garlic and cook, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and side of pot, 3 minutes.
• Return meat to pan. Add bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, salt, cayenne, black pepper, broth, and wine, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Taste broth, and add balsamic vinegar to cut the richness of the braising liquid if desired. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH TOMATO AND FENNEL

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season lamb all over with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Dredge lamb in flour, turning to coat evenly; shake off excess. Heat oil and butter in an 8-quart Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Working in two batches, cook until shanks are well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer shanks to a large plate; drain off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the skillet.
• Place skillet over medium heat; add onions and leek, and saute until they are lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Add garlic; cook 4 minutes more. Add red wine; deglaze pan by scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Return shanks to skillet, and add chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil; cover, and place in oven. Braise 2 hours; add fennel, and cook 30 minutes.
• Using a slotted spatula, transfer shanks and vegetables to a large bowl. Cover; set aside. Using a ladle, skim fat from surface of cooking liquid; cook over medium heat until liquid is thickened, 5 to 7 minutes. Return shanks and vegetables to pan; cook until heated through. Remove from heat, and season with salt and pepper.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH WHITE BEAN PUREE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Season shanks with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan. Put 3 shanks in the pan and brown well on all sides. Transfer shanks to a large roasting pan. Repeat with remaining shanks, adding oil if needed.
• Put garlic, onion, celery and carrot in the pan. Cook 30 seconds. Add half the wine and deglaze the pan. Add the vegetable-wine mixture to the roasting pan. Add the remaining ingredients. Put the roasting pan on a burner and bring to a simmer. (Shanks should be almost covered with liquid; if necessary, add water.) Cover with aluminum foil. Put in oven and bake until meat is very tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Remove shanks from liquid and keep warm. Strain liquid through a fine sieve into a large saucepan. Degrease. Simmer until sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon. Season with salt and pepper. Put shanks over a mound of bean puree and top with sauce.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH PEPPERS

Steps:

• Pat dry lamb shanks. In a heavy casserole or Dutch oven that will hold all the shanks, heat oil on medium-high. Add lamb shanks and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove to a platter. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Add bell peppers and onions to the pan. Sauté, stirring, until the vegetables wilt and just begin to color, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, dill seed, paprika and cinnamon. Stir. Add stock and wine. Bring to a simmer. Stir in tomato paste and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice. Return lamb shanks to the pot along with any juices on the platter. Cover them with a piece of parchment or waxed paper, cover pot with lid, reduce heat to very low and cook about 2 hours, basting the shanks occasionally and turning them at least once until the meat is very tender when pierced with a knife.
• Remove shanks from the pot. Increase heat to medium and reduce sauce by about a third, about 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Return shanks to the pot, baste and reheat. Serve directly from the casserole or transfer to a serving dish. Strew with fresh dill before serving.