This is a very basic formula for braising lamb shanks, adapted from The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters (Potter 2007). Like many Alice Waters recipes, it's simple but perfect. Using nothing but the same aromatics you usually have around the house (onions, carrots, bay leaves and so forth) and some minimal prep time, you can get this braise started, have an excellent nap and wake up to a nearly ready dinner. It takes two minutes to make the gremolata, so don't skip it. It's aggressive and herbal and pungent — the perfect foil for every soft and mellow bite of lamb shank.
Makes 4 servings
4 meaty lamb shanks, about 1 pound each
Salt
Fresh-ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 onions, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 head of garlic, cut in half
1 small dried chili pepper
4 black peppercorns
1 rosemary sprig
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup white wine
2 medium tomatoes or half of a 14.5-ounce can organic whole tomatoes, cored and chopped
2 cups chicken broth
For The Gremolata
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 teaspoon grated or finely chopped lemon zest
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Trim any excess fat from the shanks. Season liberally with salt and pepper, the day before if possible.
Into a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, pour enough olive oil to generously cover the bottom of the pan. Add the shanks and brown them well on all sides. This will take 12 minutes or so. When the shanks are brown, remove them from the pan, pour out most of the fat, and add the onions, carrots, garlic, chili pepper, peppercorns, rosemary and bay leaf. Cook for a few minutes, stirring now and then, until the vegetables soften.
Add the wine and tomatoes. Turn up the heat to reduce the wine and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. When the wine has reduced by half, put the shanks back in the pan and pour in the chicken broth. The liquid should come about halfway up the sides of the shanks. Bring to a boil and immediately turn down the heat, cover and cook for 2.5 to 3 hours at a bare simmer, on the stovetop or in a 325-degree oven. When braising in the oven, remove the cover for the last 20 minutes of cooking to brown the meat a little. The lamb should be meltingly tender and falling off the bones. Take out the lamb shanks.
Skim off all the fat. Pass the sauce through a food mill or puree it briefly with a stick blender, regular blender or food processor. If it is very thick, thin it with a little chicken broth. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Return the shanks to the sauce
To make gremolata, simply mix together the parsley, lemon zest and garlic.
Warm the sauce and shanks and serve sprinkled with gremolata.
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