Stout Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe With Root Vegetable Puree

Steps:

• Heat oil in a Dutch oven or large, wide pot over medium-high heat until the oil begins to smoke. Brown the lamb shanks in the hot oil on all sides until well browned, about 10 minutes. Remove lamb shanks and set aside. Pour the excess grease from the Dutch oven, reduce heat to medium, and stir in the onions and garlic. Cook and stir until the onions have softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the carrots, celery, and tomato paste; continue cooking 5 minutes more.
• Return the lamb shanks to the Dutch oven, and pour in the stout beer and beef broth. Bring to a simmer over high heat. While you're waiting for the beer to simmer, use kitchen twine to tie together the thyme sprigs, parsley sprigs, and bay leaf into a secure bundle; add to the lamb shanks.
• Once the lamb shanks begin to simmer, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the lamb is very tender and nearly falling off of the bone, 2 to 3 hours. Stir the lamb occasionally as it cooks, and add water if needed to keep the cooking liquid from becoming too thick. You want the cooking liquid to have reduced into a nice sauce by the time the lamb shanks are done. Stir in the rosemary sprig, and salt and pepper to taste during the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove rosemary sprig and herb bundle before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C).
• Heat 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil in a large oven-safe pan over medium-high heat. Season lamb shanks with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until browned, about 2 minutes per side.
• Stir onion, carrots, and celery into the pan. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, garlic, 2 teaspoons thyme, 1 teaspoon rosemary, and basil. Pour in chicken broth and wine; bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cover.
• Place covered pan in the preheated oven; bake until lamb shanks are tender, about 6 hours. Check level of liquid every 2 hours, adding more chicken broth or red wine if too much evaporates.
• Place butternut squash in a large pot of water with 1 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and return to the pot.
• Stir 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 teaspoon rosemary. Mash with a fork until smooth. Reheat over medium heat before serving with lamb shanks.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Trim excess fat from lamb (Do not remove all fat or shanks will fall apart). Dust lamb shanks with flour. Heat 1/4 cup oil in large roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add lamb in batches; cook until browned on all sides. Remove to bowl.
• 2. Add additional oil to pan, if needed, to make about 2 Tablespoons. Add onions; cook and stir 2 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir 2 minutes. Return lamb shanks and any accumulated juices to pan. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Tuck rosemary and thyme sprigs around lamb. Add stout to pan; pour in broth to almost cover lamb.
• 3. Cover and bake 2 hours or until lamb is very tender and almost falling off bones. Prepare Smashed Chat Potatoes (see below). Remove lamb from pan; keep warm. Skim fat from juices in pan; boil until reduced by half. Strain sauce. Serve lamb over potatoes; pour juice over lamb and potatoes, sprinkle with mint.
• 4. Smashed Chat Potatoes: 1-1/2 lbs. unpeeled small white potatoes 1 Tablespoon butter Salt and pepper, to taste --Bring large saucepan of water to boil. Add potatoes; simmer over medium-low heat about 20 minutes or until fork tender. Drain potatoes; return to saucepan and stir in butter until melted. Partially smash potatoes with fork. Season with salt and pepper. **Note: In Ireland, "chat potatoes" are small white potatoes most often served whole and unpeeled after steaming or boiling. Any small potato may be substituted.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Season lamb generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle evenly with flour. Heat oil in a braiser pan or large deep-sided skillet over medium-high. Working in 2 batches, sear lamb, fat-side down first, until browned all over, 5 to 7 minutes a batch. Transfer to a platter.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add onion to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in garlic, rosemary, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
• Add Worcestershire, stout, and broth. Bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Return lamb, fat-side up, and any accumulated juices to pan and return to a boil.
• Cover pan and transfer to oven. Cook, spooning juices over lamb every 30 minutes, until meat is fork-tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Remove from oven; uncover and let cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 day and up to 3 days.
• Remove solidified fat from top. Place pan over medium-low and gently simmer, covered, until lamb is warmed through, about 15 minutes. Remove rosemary. Using 2 forks, shred meat into large pieces. Transfer to a tureen or other serving vessel. Pour braising liquid over lamb. Serve with jam or chutney.

Steps:

• For lamb:
• Sprinkle lamb shanks generously with salt and pepper; dust with flour. Heat oil in heavy large deep pot over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, if necessary, add lamb to pot and cook until browned on all sides, turning often, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb to large bowl. Add onions, carrots, and celery to same pot; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste; stir 1 minute. Stir in broth, wine, parsley, thyme, and bay leaves. Return lamb to pot; bring to boil (liquid may not cover lamb completely). Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer until lamb is very tender and begins to fall off bones, turning occasionally, about 3 hours.
• Using tongs, transfer lamb to platter. Discard bay leaves and parsley sprigs. Spoon off fat from surface of pan juices; discard. Using immersion blender, puree pan juices until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Return lamb shanks to pan juices. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.
• For gremolata:
• Mix all ingredients in small bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
• For vegetables:
• Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes; cook until tender, about 18 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to medium bowl. Add carrots to same pot; cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer carrots to bowl with potatoes. Add sugar snap peas to same pot; cook 1 minute. Drain. Add to bowl with potatoes and carrots. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
• Bring lamb and pan juices to simmer over medium heat until heated through.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add all vegetables; sauté about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer lamb and pan juices to large platter or bowl. Surround with vegetables; scatter pea tendrils over vegetables. Sprinkle lamb with gremolata and serve.
• Ingredient tip:
• Green garlic has a more delicate flavor than mature garlic. The tops of green garlic look like green onions; the root ends are white and light purple. Look for green garlic at farmers' markets during the spring months.