Drunken Lamb Shanks (titled by David Fish of Fox Farm Vineyards) chef Jody Kropt
6 lamb shanks (I prefer using the wonderful, grass-fed, local lamb)
2 cups of good quality pinot noir
4 heads of roasted garlic - cut off top of garlic head, drizzle with olive oil and roast at 300 degrees until brown
2 cups of good quality chicken stock
2 bay leaves
2 large onions
2 Tbps. of olive oil
1 cup of diced celery
1 cup of diced carrots
1/2 cup of tomato paste
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste (don't be shy with the ground pepper)
directions:
- rinse lamb and remove excess water with paper towel
- season with kosher (or sea) salt and fresh ground pepper
- turn on oven to 275
- heat olive oil in a large oven proof (heavy) skillet with a lid
- slowly brown lamb in skillet
- remove lamb and saute onions, carrots and celery until caramelized
- add tomato paste and cook five more minutes
- add chicken stock, wine, bay leaves, 1 tsp of
salt, 1 tsp of fresh cracked pepper, roasted garlic (squeeze out the
paste from the heads before adding) - stir and bring to a boil
- remove from heat and add lamb, lamb should almost be covered in liquid
- cover with lid or tin foil and place in oven
- braise lamb in oven for 3-4 hours, until tender - Turn lamb over twice during this time
- remove lamb from sauce and strain sauce through a course strainer - pushing some of the pulp through the holes with a spatula.
- return sauce to the stove top and continue to
reduce down over low heat - remove excess fat from the top of the sauce
with a spoon or ladle.
- when the sauce has reduced by approx. half - adjust salt and pepper to taste
- turn oven to 350 degrees
- return lamb to the sauce and make sure all sides are coated
- place in oven for 15-20 minutes until lamb is slightly browned and sauce is hot and bubbling
- serve on polenta with a sprinkling of gremolata (recipe below)
Gremolata
1 Tbsp of finely minced garlic
3 Tbsp of roughly chopped parsley
1/2 Tbsp of finely chopped lemon zest
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