Lamb Shanks with Vegetables and a Mint Gremolata

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Confession time: I made this dish just as Spring was arriving. But by the time I got around to writing up the post, Spring had sprung and with it temperatures that suggested getting out of the heat and out of the kitchen. But now that Fall is making it’s inevitable comeback, I revisited this dish. And it has a lot to recommend it. Not the least of which is the classic combination of mint and lamb. In this case, the mint forms the basis for a “gremolata”, a garnish usually associated with Osso Buco. The early spring vegetables used here—the tiny baby potatoes and sugar snap peas–have become year round staples in our supermarket. You can be forgiven for using trimmed full-sized carrots. In point of fact, I did in the original recipe. And if you’re a lamb fan who, due to price, has had to curb your appetite, this is a budget friendly way to enjoy the protein. In fact, the shank is likely the least expensive of all cuts of lamb.

New Zealand where the sheep outnumber
humans by 20 to 1.

The lamb shank is the bottom part of the leg of lamb. It’s almost always removed from the upper portion. The meat is much tougher than the rest of the leg and that’s why braising low and slow is the way to go. But don’t be put off by talk of toughness. Braising this cut leaves you with meat that is soft and unctuous. And it’s very easy to cook as long as you take your time. Today’s lamb is often associated with Australia and New Zealand and a good deal of what’s on offer in the US is from those two prolific lamb countries. New Zealand famously has 20 sheep for every person. But like both Australia and New Zealand, lamb has been a staple of the English-speaking world’s diet for centuries. The shank however only starts appearing in recipes, other than ones for stock, around the time of World War I. While I can’t be sure, rationing may have cajoled cooks into discovering how to cook the shank right.

The recipe is from Bon Appetit. It’s the handiwork of Joanne Weir who is a San Francisco based “cookbook author, chef, cooking teacher and television personality”, according to her bio. I got wildly jealous reading that Joanne conducts “Culinary Journeys” to everywhere from Tuscany to North Africa. How she fits this into a schedule that also includes a TV series called “Joanne Weir’s Cooking Confidence” and cooking courses in her kitchen in San Francisco is a bit daunting. Her recipe for Lamb Shanks is not. It’s very straight forward. And talk about popular. On www.epicurious.com 100 percent of the people who made it would make it again. All you need is some time, about 3 hours. That makes it fall into the category of one of those rainy afternoon dishes that’s served right away. Or, as is the case with so many great braises, it’s even better the second day. Here’s the recipe:

Joanne Weir’s recipe for Braised Lamb Shanks with Vegetables and Mint Gremolata. Serves 6*. About 3 hours in total.

*I made this for two by cutting the recipe into 3^rds.

For the Lamb:

6 1-to 1 1/4-pound lamb shanks

All purpose flour

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups finely chopped onions (about 2 medium)

2 cups finely chopped peeled carrots

1 1/4 cups finely chopped celery

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon (generous) tomato paste

3 cups low-salt chicken broth

1 1/2 cups Sauvignon Blanc or other dry white wine

6 fresh Italian parsley sprigs

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

For the Gremolata:

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon (packed) finely grated lemon peel

1 tablespoon minced fresh green garlic or 1 garlic clove, minced

For the Vegetables:

1 1/2 pounds unpeeled 1 1/2-to 1 3/4-inch baby red potatoes or baby Yukon Gold potatoes

8 ounces slender baby carrots, trimmed, peeled

8 ounces sugar snap peas, strings removed

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter

To prepare the 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.

Prepare the gremolata: 

Mix all ingredients in small bowl.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Prepare the vegetables:

Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Add potatoes; cook until tender, about 15 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; Sprinkle lamb with gremolata and serve.

Lamb Shanks with Vegetables and a Mint Gremolata

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