Braised Lamb Shanks with Rosemary

Kimberly

ingredients

1/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Four 12 ounce lamb shanks (hind bone preferred)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced (2 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
2 tablespoons good-quality balsamic vinegar, optional
4 cups beef stock
2 cups chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 celery Root
3 turnips
4 carrots chopped
28 oz can diced tomato

directions

1
Combine the flour, salt, and pepper and spread on a plate. Dredge the lamb shanks in the mixture, shaking off the excess flour.
2
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When hot, add the shanks and brown them on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan with tongs and set aside.
3
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. Stir in the onions and rosemary, and saute over medium heat until the onions start to soften and turn golden. Add the garlic and cook another 3 to 5 minutes.
4
Add the wine and balsamic vinegar, if using, and bring to a boil. Add the stocks and the tomato paste, and cook until the liquid is hot.
5
Add the shanks to the pan. If they’re not completely submerged in the cooking liquid, add more stock or water to cover. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to maintain a simmer. Alternately, transfer the Dutch oven to a preheated 350-degree F oven. Simmer, partially covered, until the meat is fork tender and easily slides off the bone, about 2 hours.
6
Remove shanks from the braising liquid with tongs and place on a platter. Cover with foil to keep warm. Pass the liquid through a fine mesh sieve into a large pan, pressing hard on the solids to extract all the stock. If not serving until the following day, refrigerate the braising liquid, covered, and the lamb shanks overnight. Before reheating, skim off the layer of fat that rises to the top of the stock. If continuing with the recipe, skim off the fat and discard. Bring stock to a simmer over low heat. Cook for 10 minutes to further concentrate the braising liquid. Return lamb shanks to the pan and re-heat gently.