Braised Lamb Shanks

With the cold of winter setting in I have been hanging out for some good old fashioned comfort food. One of my favourite comfort meals is lamb shanks which are braised slowly in a cast iron baking tray or casserole. For this recipe I used Frenched lamb shanks. (Shanks which have been trimmed to remove excess fat and tendon) Not only do they look nicer on the plate but are a healthier option with reduced fat. Braising meat is an excellent slow cooking method for tougher cuts of meat as it keeps the meat moist. Braising involves dusting the meat in seasoned flour then browning it in a pan in oil and finishing the cooking process by slow cooking with liquid such as stock, in a casserole. This final process can be done in an oven, stovetop or electric slow cooker.

Braised Lamb Shanks

3 tbs olive oil

2 brown onions diced

4 garlic cloves crushed

2 carrots diced

4 celery stalks diced

1 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper

8 lamb shanks

1 can diced tomato

1-2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 bay leaves

Sea salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 180 C.

Toss the lamb shanks into a large bowl containing the seasoned flour ensuring the shanks are evenly coated.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and brown the lamb shanks in small batches and transfer the shanks into a heavy based baking dish or casserole.

Lightly sauté the vegetables in the frying pan adding additional oil if necessary. And add 2 tbs of the seasoned flour to the mixture coating the sautéed vegetables.

Add the diced tomato to the frying pan and heat through then transfer the contents into the baking dish coating the lamb shanks.

Deglaze the frying pan with the stock and bay leaves and pour the stock over the lamb shanks to just cover them. Adjust the stock to suit the size of your casserole and quantity of ingredients.

Cover the baking dish with foil and place it into the preheated oven to bake for 1 hour at 180°C then reduce the heat to 160°C for another 1½ to 2 hours or until the meat begins to fall off the bone.

Serve with potato mash, steamed green vegetables and remaining sauce from the braised lamb shanks.

Wine: Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon 1998 and Parker Terra Rossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2005