Braised Lamb Shanks

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 2
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 (440 g) can peeled tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
• 4 lamb shanks
• 250 ml red wine, good drinking quality
• 4 bay leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 liter beef stock (approximately) or 1 liter water (approximately)

Recipe

• 1 pre-heat oven to 160c.
• 2 heat the oil in a big, heavy-based, oven-proof pan.
• 3 brown the shanks well on all sides, remove, fry the garlic, onions and carrot until they are softened.
• 4 add the tinned tomatoes and their juice to the pan, sit the shanks on top, then add the remaining ingredients.
• 5 use enough stock to just barely cover the shanks.
• 6 put the un-covered pan in the oven.
• 7 braise for about 2 hours, checking it every 30 minutes or so.
• 8 turn the shanks each time you check, and replace the liquid (some will evaporate during cooking) to bring it to half-way up the shanks.
• 9 the shanks are done when the meat is beginning to fall of the bone.
• 10 remove them and place on a warmed serving dish strain the liquid, pressing with a spoon to get all the juices out.
• 11 skim and discard as much fat as you can, then reduce the remaining liquid to a nice gravy consistency.
• 12 pour over the shanks and serve.