I’m a big fan of anything braised, and these lamb shanks fit the bill. The fall-off-the-bone tenderness of the meat and the richness of the stock really turn me on. Served on a pile of grits, it’s outstanding.

　　

Ingredients

feeds 6

　　

The Shanks

6 lamb shanks (about 4 1/2 pounds)

　　Kosher salt and black pepper

　　1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup olive oil

　　2 1/2 cups chopped onion

　　3 tablespoons minced garlic

　　2 cups dry red wine

　　2 cups beef broth or stock (to make your own, see page 169)

　　3 sprigs rosemary

　　1 cup Mutha Sauce (page 165)

　　1/2 cinnamon stick

　　

The Accoutrement

Garlic & Cheddar Grits (page 126)

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grab a knife and make a couple of shallow slits through the silver skin on both sides of each shank. Sprinkle the meat on both sides with a generous amount of salt and pepper.

　　

Step 2

Schlepp a big, heavy frying pan over to the stove and heat it over medium-high. Pour in 1/3 cup olive oil and get it hot and fragrant. Add as many shanks as will fit comfortably in the pan without crowding, and cook til richly browned, about 4 minutes. Flip them over and brown the other side. Pull the shanks out and drop them in a roasting pan. Continue browning the rest of the shanks. Once all of them are done, clean out the pan and pour in the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil.

　　

Step 3

Drag the pan back over medium-high heat and add the onions, seasoning them with salt and pepper. Cook til soft; then toss in the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Pour in the wine and broth and bring to a boil. Add the rosemary, Mutha Sauce, and cinnamon stick. Pour everything over the shanks and cover the roasting pan tightly with foil. Shove it in the oven to braise for 1 hour; then pull it out and give the shanks a flip. Pop them back in the oven to cook for another hour.

　　

Step 4

Once the shanks are tender and the meat is pulling away from the bone, lift them out onto a good-looking platter. Cover and keep warm. Strain the braising liquid, and skim the grease. Pour the braising liquid into a small pan and reduce by half. Keep warm.

　　

Step 5

Line up some dinner plates and mound a portion of Garlic & Cheddar Grits in the center of each one. Set a shank into each mound, spoon some of the sauce over each shank, and bring them to the table.

　　Dinosaur Bar-B-QueTen Speed Press