Braised Lamb Shanks in Red Wine

Lamb shanks braised in red wine with fresh rosemary, garlic, celery, carrots and tomatoes make for an easy, hands-off dish. Excellent served with garlic mashed potatoes, or roasted potatoes. The red wine makes a wonderful sauce. This is a fantastic dish to make for company, as all the prep work is done at the beginning. All you have to do is wait for the shanks to be fall-off-the-bone tender. The key is to cook them low and slow, to ensure tender, delicious meat.

Ingredients

4-6 lamb shanks (1 per person)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 large carrots, cut into 1/4 inch rounds

2 onions, chopped

2 sticks celery, chopped (optional - if allergic to celery, omit it)

10 cloves garlic, minced

1 (750 milliliter) bottle red wine

1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes with juice

2 cups beef broth

5 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper.

3. Heat oil in a large, heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the shanks until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer shanks to a roasting dish large enough to accommodate them all; set aside.

4. Add carrots, celery, onions, and garlic to the pot and sauté over medium heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in wine, tomatoes, beef broth, rosemary, and thyme.

5. Add the vegetables and wine to the roasting dish, pressing the shanks down to submerge them in the braising liquid. Bring to a boil, then move to the oven.

6. Cover and braise until meat is tender, about 3 hours.

7. At 1.5 hours, turn the shanks gently in the braising liquid to ensure even cooking.

8. Transfer shanks to a platter; cover with foil to keep warm.

9. Continue boiling the sauce on the stovetop until thickened, about 15 minutes. You can add a little cornstarch to the sauce if you need it thicker.

10. Spoon sauce over shanks before serving.

In the Glass

A bold red wine is the perfect accompaniment to this meal. Our choice was a Feliciana Tempranillo and it was delicious. A Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot would also work well.