GARLIC AND HERB BRAISED LAMB SHANKS
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Because so much lamb is grown in the Hill Country, we’ve experimented with just about every cut. Although they’re not generally considered to be one of the premium cuts of lamb, we just really love the shanks. Now, they take some special treatment, and they’re not going to fit into your 30-minute supper time frame, but when you have the time for a longer cooking dish, you’ll be rewarded with falling off the bone tender meat and a wallop of flavor. |
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Ingredients |
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Serves 4. 4 (½-¾-pound) lamb shanks, trimmed of outside fat |
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Instructions |
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To best cook this dish, use a really heavy Dutch oven, like cast iron or Le Creuset with a tight-fitting lid. Salt the shanks all over and brown them in the olive oil, turning several times to brown all sides. Add the beef broth to the pan and toss in the garlic cloves. Cover the pan and turn the heat to very low. Cook for 1½-2 hours, turning often, or until the meat is very, very tender. Grind the dry Herbs of Provence Bread Dipping Mix using a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder to a powder. After the shanks have been cooking for an hour, scatter the ground herbs in the pan; cover and continue to cook until meat is done. When the shanks are done, remove them from the pan to a platter. Cover with foil to keep warm. Skim off all fat from the pan and return the pan to medium-high heat. Add the white wine, scraping and stirring with a wooden spoon to dissolve all the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Press the liquid in the pan (with the garlic cloves) through a fine strainer using the back of the wooden spoon to strain out the garlic skins. Return the liquid to the pan and bring to a rapid boil. Return the shanks to the pan and grind a liberal amount of black pepper over them. Toss to coat the shanks with the liquid and cook, uncovered for ten more minutes. Serve one shank per person, pour a portion of the pan juices over each serving. |