Braised Lamb Shanks

by Hugo Vino

Shanks are among the least expensive parts of Mister Baaah (read "Bellwether" by Connie Willis to get a clue). And the funniest part is,  they are usually sold in packs of 3 (why not four? Ask your clueless butcher if he knows his anatomy.). Lamb shanks may look hard, fat, bony and unappealing when raw (hey, it's from a dead animal, remember)... perhaps useful to hit zombies or hooligan on the forehead. But when cooked properly, they are delicate and incredibly delicious.

You need a lot of patience and quite a bunch of ingredients to prepare this recipe, but the end result is spectAHcular. I once paid thirty bucks to eat 2 small lamb shanks in a posh French restaurant near Montreal. Just imagine the profit they make, knowing the you can actually pre-braise the meat, vaccuum-seal it & freeze it (separated from the sauce) for later use. Then microwave the sauce, and finish the recipe just in time for service (just don't add butter to the sauce before freezing it, or it might form lumps). Lazy bastards. Now I cook it home and serve it to my 3-years-old son for dinner.
Shanks 1, Rack 0.

Braised Lamb Shanks


Meat:
- 3-4 medium-sized lamb shanks


Marinade:
- 1 cup vegetables duxelles: carrots, onions, garlic, celery, leek, parsnip, etc
- dried herbs: 2 bay leaves, thyme (1 tsp), rosemary (2 tsp)
- ground spices: coriander (1 tsp), cinnammon (1 pinch), paprika (2 tsp), cumin (1 pinch)
- whole spices: juniper bays (5), black pepper (5)
- 1 cup light red wine (such as grenache)
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 30 ml light olive oil
- 30 ml lemon juice
- 30 ml red or white wine vinegar
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup tap water

Cooking Ingredients:
- 30 ml powdered dried mushrooms (use a coffee grinder)
- 30 ml corn starch, diluted into warm water
- 1/4 cup pork flank or bacon, chopped
- 30 ml butter
- brandy or cognac


Finishing Ingredients:
- 15 ml butter
- 30 ml white flour
- 30 ml tomato paste

Mix all the mardinade ingredients into a large bowl. Add the shanks and cover the bowl. If the shanks are not tally covered with the marinade, turn them every 8 hours. Put the covered bowl in the fridge for 24 hours or more, and forget about it for a while.

Remove the shanks from the marinade and wipe them dry. Rub them with pepper and salt.

In a Dutch oven or a roasting pan, melt the butter at high heat and brown the shanks of all sides, turning them often. Remove the shanks, reduce the heat and melt the pork flank. Add some wine and the brandy; flambé and let reduce and caramelize a bit.

Pour the whole marinade (with the duxelles), add the dried mushroom powder, herbs and spices in the pan. Cover and braise at 200°F for 6 hours, basting from time to time. At this point, most of the fat should have melted and the meat should be well cooked, almost falling from the bone.

Remove the shanks, wipe them and keep them warm.

Filter the sauce (throw away the spices and vegetables). In a pan, add the sauce, flour and tomato paste, and bring to a boil. Add a nut of butter and whip like crazy. Simmer at medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Taste and rectify the seasoning. The sauce should have a velvety feel.

If the shanks are still a little pale, you can roast them for 5 minutes in the oven. Don't overcook them or they will be dry. Put 1 shank in a plate. Pour the sauce over. Serve with seasoned potatos, a pearl barley risotto, mushroom & wild rice, or couscous.