Italian Lamb Shanks Recipes

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:

• Trim lamb shanks of any excess fat. Place shanks in a sturdy plastic bag lrg enough to hold all 4 shanks & pour the Italian salad dressing over them. Refrigerate at least 5 hrs, occ rearranging the meat & marinade to get complete & equal coverage.
• Remove lamb & reserve the marinade.
• Mix 1/2 cup cheese, flour, parsley flakes, salt & onion salt. Coat lamb w/the cheese mixture & reserve any that remains.
• Heat shortening in 12-inch skillet or dutch oven til melted. Cook lamb in hot shortening (turning occ) till browned on all sides. Drain all hot shortening from skillet (See Note).
• Sprinkle any remaining cheese mixture over the lamb. Add reserved marinade to the pan & enough water for a slow simmer.
• Bring the liquid to a boil, cover pan & reduce heat to simmer.
• Cook till tender (about 2 1/2 hrs), turning occ & adding water to pan as needed. Serve w/additional grated Parmesan cheese on the side.
• NOTE: While the recipe calls for the use of shortening, we all know it's rarely used now. Feel free to sub your oil of choice.

Steps:

• First, you need to roast the capsicums (bell peppers).
• Preheat the oven to 200C (400F) or, alternatively, set grill (broiler) to high temperature.
• Slice capsicums into quarters lengthwise and remove stem, seeds and membrane.
• Coat well with olive oil and place into a roasting tin, skin side up.
• Cook in a hot (200°C) oven or under a hot grill until the skin begins to blacken and bubble.
• Remove and place capsicum pieces into a plastic bag.
• Seal bag and set aside until capsicums are cool.
• When cool, open bag and remove as much peel as possible from capsicums and set aside until needed.
• *Ifthis sounds like too much trouble, you could substitute a bottle (210g approx) of roasted capsicums (drained).
• TO PREPARE THE LAMB SHANKS: Preheat oven to moderate 180C (350F).
• In a large jug, combine beef stock powder, garlic powder, soup mix, red wine, and hot water, mix well.
• Add entire (undrained) contents of the can of peeled tomatoes to the jug, and set aside until needed.
• Heat oil in a large frypan (preferably an ovenproof frypan) or in a dutch oven or similar.
• Add lamb shanks, turn to cover well with oil, then cook on a high heat until brown all over.
• Remove lamb shanks from the pan and set aside.
• Reduce heat in pan, pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil, and add onion, garlic, thyme and tomato paste.
• Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until fragrant.
• Now pour the contents of the jug into the pan and stir to mix well.
• Add lamb shanks to the pan, turning to coat well with the sauce.
• Increase heat and bring liquid to the boil.
• When liquid is boiling, cover the pan and transfer it (if ovenproof) to the centre shelf of the pre-heated oven.
• *Ifyour pan is not ovenproof, simply tip the shanks and their sauce into a suitable dish before transferring to the oven.
• Cook shanks, covered, in the oven for 2 hours at 180C (350F).
• After 2 hours, add the capsicums.
• Cover and cook for a further 30 minutes.
• Skim any excess fat from the top of the sauce before serving.
• Before serving, add freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste.
• Serve with steamed rice, cous cous, or mashed potatoes.