Braising a naturally tough cut of meat like lamb shanks takes some time, but don’t fret— it is all hands-off time. No matter if it is lamb shanks, short ribs, a pot roast, or even turkey legs, braising in all instances means searing the meat first to create a lovely brown crust, then slowly cooking the seared meat for a long time in aromatics, vegetables and some sort of liquid. The liquid can be broth, but it can also be wine. Braising is one of my favorite ways to cook on a lazy weekend because the results are always tender, fall-off-the-bone meats, with tons of flavor.
For this specific braise, I seared the lamb shanks in olive oil until browned, then removed them from the pan while I sauteed some garlic, leeks, carrots and celery with some fresh rosemary. I then added some rich tomato paste into the pan, along with some chopped, fresh tomatoes and some white wine to deglaze the pan. I had a lot of homemade chicken stock on hand, so that is the liquid I chose to cook the lamb in.
No need to completely cover the lamb with liquid, simply submerge it about halfway. When about half of the cooking time has lapsed, turn the shanks over; when there is about 30 minutes left, that is when you add the finishing touches: briny Castelvetrano olives and some halved, baby potatoes. (And feel free to use this exact recipe for a variety of meats like I mentioned! The same cooking method, veggies, aromatics, and liquids would be a perfect match for any of the other meats listed above.)
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Braised Lamb Shanks with Castelvetrano Olives & Potatoes
Ingredients:
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 lamb shanks
- salt and pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 leek, root end removed, tough stems removed, white and light green sections thinly sliced, well rinsed
- 1 large carrots, diced
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 4-6 cups stock (beef or chicken or vegetable)
- 1/2 cup Castelvetrano olives
- 6-8 new potatoes, halved
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat 1 Tablespoon of oil in a large Dutch oven. Season the lamb shanks all over with salt and pepper. Sear in the olive oil over medium-high heat, turning once, until the lamb is browned; this takes about 8-10 minutes total. Remove the seared shanks from the pan.
- Add an additional Tablespoon of oil to the pan, and over medium heat saute the garlic, leek, carrot, celery and chopped rosemary (stirring with a wooden spoon), along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and a big grinding of pepper. Saute for 5-7 minutes, or until the veggies become a bit tender. Add in the tomato paste, tomatoes and white wine. Reduce the heat to medium-low; stir to incorporate the tomato paste; cook over medium heat for 7-8 minutes, or until the pan is deglazed and the liquid absorbed by half.
- Add the lamb shanks back into the pot. Add enough stock around the shanks so that they are halfway covered. Place the lid on the Dutch oven and place it in the preheated oven.
- Cook for 1 hour. Turn the shanks over in the pan, cover again, and cook an additional hour. At this point, add in the olives and halved potatoes. Re-cover the pot and place in the oven to cook for another 30 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven. The meat should be falling off the bone and very tender. Serve the shanks with the juice and all the trimmings; best over brown rice, egg noodles, or your favorite whole grain.
Tagged: braised lamb, braised lamb shanks, braising, carrots, Castelvetrano olives, celery, chicken stock, fresh rosemary, garlic, lamb, lamb shanks, lamb with olives and potatoes, leek, new potatoes, olives, potatoes, stock, tomato paste, tomatoes, white wine
Leave a Reply