Braised Lamb Shanks w/ Rosemary


I recently had a dinner party and decided on lamb shanks.
Much less expensive than veal osso buco for a crowd.

Braising for hours ensures that the meat falls right off the bone. The last time I served this over polenta, but mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower works well too.

The tomato, wine & rosemary sauce makes your kitchen smell so good, you might not want to leave the house for 2 days.



Braised Lamb Shanks w/ Rosemary: (adapted from All Recipes)

6 lamb shanks
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
3 large carrots, cut into 1/4 inch rounds
10 cloves garlic, minced
1 (750 ml) bottle red wine
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
1 (10.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
5 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Sprinkle shanks with kosher salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook shanks until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer shanks to plate.

Add onions, carrots and garlic to pot and saute until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in wine, tomatoes, chicken broth and beef broth. Season with rosemary and thyme. Return shanks to pot, pressing down to submerge. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover, and simmer until meat is tender, about 2.5 hours.

Remove cover from pot. Simmer about 20 minutes longer. Transfer shanks to platter, place in a warm oven. Boil juices in pot until thickened, about 15 minutes. Spoon over shanks.


Note: I had about 2 quarts of delicious lamb stock leftover.
Don't even think of throwing this valuable liquid out!

I put the liquid in containers and refrigerated the stock overnight.
I skimmed off the layer of fat and made a DELICIOUS soup with the leftover lamb meat, added a can of chicken stock and a can of chickpeas. It made enough for 6 bowls of hearty soup!








Comments

MaryMoh said…
What a great meal! The lamb looks juicy and delicious....yum
Tina said…
I just found your blog last night and spent a good part of the evening going through your posts.
This is just my kind of food! Thanks so much for posting.
Estrella Damm said…
It's breakfast over here and I still want that right now! Excellent looking dish.
kat said…
That dish is what winter weekends are for!
The Food Hunter said…
great idea to use the leftover stock.
Pam said…
What a gourmet meal! It looks hearty and delicious.
Bob said…
That looks stunning. Love it!
Foodiewife said…
This is my husband's favorite braised meal. He loves it with polenta. Now, you've triggered my need to make this. The liquid does make amazing soup!
Foodiewife said…
This is my husband's favorite braised meal. He loves it with polenta. Now, you've triggered my need to make this. The liquid does make amazing soup!
The JR said…
Wow, looks great. Bet it was devine!
That's beautiful. I love braised lamb shanks. I think it's the most often-ordered dish I'll order in restaurants when it's on the menu. Very clever use of the leftovers too.

I'm always afraid to do something like this for dinner parties though. People can be kind of funny about lamb. I'm glad you have a circle of friends that's more open-minded than mine!
mmmmm, I can imagine the deliciousness that is the shank!
I missed lambs. It has been a long time since I had a dose of it. My mouth is now watering!
I've got some lamb shanks in the freezer waiting for the right recipe and it looks like I've found it.
Sam
Patsyk said…
I've never prepared anything with lamb in it... your dish looks so good that I may have to give it a try sometime soon. It looks like a perfect winter meal.
What a feast, look at that plate! My family is not to lamb friendly, they're all about pork, but the way you braised this sounds delish!
Colleen said…
What a wonderful winter meal - I love all things braised!