Its cold again on Martha's Vineyard... in April... But spring is in the air, and I had a hankering for braised lamb. I decided to ditch the wine, the flour, all the things that can make a braised piece of meat heavy. Lamb shank is inexpensive, and absolutely delectable if prepared properly. Here is a take on braised lamb shank that came out exceptionally well.
Ingredients
1 Lamb shank
1 Onion (chopped large)
3-4 Carrots (sliced)
4-5 Cloves of garlic peeled (whole)
1/2 Can whole peeled tomatoes
1.5 cups Beef broth
2 tbsp Herbs de Provence
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Ground mustard seed
.5 tsp Cumin
Directions:
-Preheat oven to 250 degrees
-Cover lamb shank in salt, paprika, and mustard seed
-Coat a dutch oven (or a heavy pot with a lid) with olive oil
-Brown the lamb shank on all sides (don't turn the heat up too high or the oil will burn)
-Set the lamb aside, and introduce the onions and carrots into the dutch oven with some salt and pepper
-Once the onions and carrots soften add in the whole peeled garlic and stir for 1 minute
-Add tomatoes (with juice), beef broth, and herbs
- Add the lamb shank, bring to a simmer, cover, then place covered pot into the oven for 2 and 1/2 hours
-Resist the urge to check on it, it is harder for some than others, but trust me. In 2 and 1/2 hours all of your patience will pay off and your worries will subside.
- If you have followed these simple instructions, you are probably in awe of the way the meat falls off the bone at this point.
I chose to serve this with rice, and asparagus. The rice helps soak up all the beautiful braising liquid, and the asparagus adds a welcome crunch.
