Greek Style Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe 55

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Coat a large Dutch oven generously with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Season the shanks generously with salt and add them to the pan. Brown well on all sides. This is an incredibly important step; do not rush it.
• Meanwhile, puree the onions, carrots, celery and garlic in a food processor until it becomes a coarse paste. Remove and set aside.
• Remove the shanks from the pan to a sheet tray. Discard the excess fat from the pan. Add a little more oil to coat the bottom of the pan and add the pureed veggies. Season with salt, to taste. Saute the veggies until they are very brown and aromatic, about 20 minutes. The brown veggies should form a sort of crust on the bottom of the pan, do not let this burn; it is where a lot of the flavor is! Don't rush this step either, since this is where you will develop the brown color and flavor.
• Add the tomato paste and brown for 5 minutes. Stir in the wine, chopped rosemary and thyme bundle. Stir frequently and cook until the wine has reduced by about half.
• Add the shanks back to the pot and pour in 3 to 4 cups of water. The shanks should be submersed, if they are not, add more water. Add the bay leaves to the pan, cover and put in the preheated oven. The cooking time will be about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Turn the shanks over about halfway through the cooking time. Check the shanks every 45 minutes or so. If the liquid has reduced too much add more water. Defat as you go.
• Remove the lid during the last 30 minutes of cooking time for maximum browning. When the shanks are done the meat should be incredibly tender and flavorful. Transfer to serving plates and garnish with Gremolata. Serve with Hard Polenta Cakes, if desired,
• Call yourself a superstar!!!
• In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and set aside until ready to use.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Heat oil in large ovenproof pot (wide enough to hold lamb in single layer) over medium-high heat. Sprinkle lamb on all sides with salt and pepper. Add lamb to pot and sauté until brown, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer lamb to plate. Add next 10 ingredients to pot. Sauté until vegetables brown, about 20 minutes. Mix in tomato paste. Add wine and all broth; boil until liquid is reduced by half, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Return lamb to pot, arranging in single layer; add any accumulated juices. Bring to boil. Place lamb in oven and cook uncovered until tender, basting and turning occasionally, about 2 hours. Transfer lamb to plate. Skim any fat from top of roasting liquid. Press all liquid and enough of vegetables through sieve set over large bowl to make sauce with gravy consistency. Return gravy to pot; add lamb. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated.) Rewarm lamb over low heat. Transfer to platter and serve. This recipe yields 6 servings.

Steps:

• Put the lamb shanks in a large bowl with the garlic, rosemary, thyme, dried oregano, cinnamon, bay leaves, lemon juice (drop in the juiced halves as well), and olive oil. Season well, then toss everything together. If you have time, chill overnight.
• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/ gas 5. Tip the potatoes and peppers into a large roasting tin, then pour over the wine. Remove the lamb from the marinade and set aside, then pour the leftover marinade over the veg. Toss to combine, then arrange the lamb on top of the veg. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 2 hrs 30 mins. Remove the lamb from the tin, turn all the veg over, then turn the lamb over and return to the tin on top of the veg. Drizzle over a little more oil, if the tin seems dry. Bake for 30 mins more, uncovered, until the lamb is falling off the bone and the potatoes are golden around the edges. Leave to rest for 5 mins, then scatter over the feta and fresh oregano, if using.

Steps:

• Put oil in a large, deep skillet or casserole that can be covered later, and turn heat to medium-high. Add shanks, sprinkling them with salt and pepper. When pieces are deeply browned on one side, add thyme, garlic, onion, half the celery and half the carrots, and more salt and pepper to skillet. Continue to brown, stirring occasionally.
• Add wine, and let mixture bubble for about a minute; cover and adjust heat so that mixture simmers steadily. Cook for about an hour.
• Add remaining vegetables to pan; zest lemon, and add zest as well. Continue to cook until lamb is very tender and vegetables soft, another 30 to 45 minutes. (You can prepare dish up to this point in advance; let sit for a few hours, or cover and refrigerate for up to a day before reheating and proceeding.)
• When lamb is done, juice lemon, and add juice to sauce. Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve, garnished with parsley.

Steps:

• In a 8-quart Dutch oven, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat, Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt on lamb shanks. Cook lamb shanks, 2 at a time, until browned on all sides. Remove shanks to a bowl as they brown.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In drippings in Dutch oven, cook onions and carrots until tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, cook 2 minutes.
• Return lamb shanks to Dutch oven. Add tomatoes with their juice, chicken broth, and 3/4 teaspoon salt; heat to boiling over high heat. Cover Dutch oven and bake 1 1/2 hours. Turn lamb shanks over; add potatoes and green beans. Cover and bake 1 1/4 hours longer or until lamb and potatoes are tender.
• Meanwhile, from lemons, grate 1 tablespoon peel and squeeze 2 tablespoons juice.
• When lamb shanks are done, skim fat from sauce. Stir in lemon peel, lemon juice, dill, and parsley.