Braised Lamb Shank

With Portobello Mushrooms, tomatoes and rosemary, served with grilled polenta and baby brocoli.

 

BRAISED LAMB SHANK

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

4 lamb shanks, external fat trimmed

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary

2 tbsp. olive oil

2 portobello mushrooms, diced

2 yellow onions, diced

2 cups drained canned diced tomatoes

1 cups full-bodied red wine

2 cup beef (or chicken) stock

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 bay leaf

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350ºF.

Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. In a large, deep sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil until nearly smoking. Working in batches if needed, brown the shanks on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to a platter.

Add the onions and mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, add the wine and return the pan to medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring to scrape up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Add the stock, rosemary, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaf and shanks and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, transfer to the oven and cook until the meat is almost falling off the bone, about 2 hours. Using tongs, transfer the shanks to a large serving bowl.

Remove the bay leaf and skim any fat from the top of the cooking liquid. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Pour some of the sauce over the shanks and pass the rest alongside.


Polenta

1 box instant polenta or 1½ cups polenta (coarse cornmeal)

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

Directions:

Cook Polenta according to package instructions and add butter and salt and pepper to taste. Chill polenta in a flat baking pan until firm, then cut 4 round 3½” discs. Grill discs in a grill pan with olive oil until browned on both sides.

Photo by Ken Amorosano