Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks

Ingredients

• 3 lb lamb shanks
• salt (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste)
• 2 carrots (finely diced)
• 1 celery stalk (finely diced)
• 1 yellow onion (finely diced)
• 1 shallot (finely diced)
• 1 leek (white and light green parts only, finely diced)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1.5 cup dry red wine
• 4 cup beef stock
• 0.33 cup passata
• 1 head garlic (halved crosswise)
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tarragon leaf
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 squares dark chocolate
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp espresso powder
• 0.5 tsp ginger powder
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cup water
• 1 cup polenta
• 1 sprig rosemary (for polenta)
• 1 sprig thyme (for polenta)
• 2 garlic cloves (smashed)
• 1 tsp garlic powder (for polenta)
• 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese (shredded)
• 2 tbsp butter (for polenta)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (to finish sauce)
• cooking oil (for searing)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. 2

   Pat lamb shanks dry and season generously with salt and pepper.

3. 3

   Sear in a hot Dutch oven with oil until deeply browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.

4. 4

   Lower heat to medium.

5. 5

   Add onion, shallot, leek, carrot, and celery. Season lightly with salt.

6. 6

   Cook 5 minutes until softened.

7. 7

   Add tomato paste, mix until combined and cook for 4-5 minutes or until tomato paste is caramelized.

8. 8

   Deglaze with red wine and simmer until reduced by half.

9. 9

   Add beef stock, passata, seasonings (brown sugar, garlic powder, coriander, cumin, espresso powder, ginger powder), and mix until well combined. Taste and adjust as needed.

10. 10

    Add garlic (halved head), thyme, bay leaves, tarragon, rosemary, and dark chocolate.

11. 11

    Return lamb shanks to the pot.

12. 12

    Cover and transfer to oven. Braise 3-3.5 hours, turning once, until fork-tender.

13. 13

    Remove lamb shanks and keep warm.

14. 14

    Simmer braising liquid uncovered until thickened.

15. 15

    Whisk in 2 tbsp unsalted butter. Season to taste.

Notes

For a Halal or Kosher version, substitute the red wine with a mix of pomegranate and red-grape juices as suggested in the comments.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• lamb
• braised
• dinner
• slow-cooked
• comfort food
• polenta