A couple of days ago, I was walking past the meat section of my local market, and spied some nice looking lamb shanks. I didn’t meditate on them too long; I just parked them in my subconscious and kept shopping. But, there they were, hiding out in my head, just waiting for the chance to give me a nudge. And nudge they did. Which got me to thinking: can one prepare a quick, simple, easy dinner of braised lamb shank? And use only 1 pan? My brain answered with a resounding “hell yeah!”. Who was I to argue? Since my lady T is out of town visiting her folks, I had a prime opportunity to cook myself something that she wouldn’t touch with a 10 foot pole. You see, my lady does not do meat on the bone. That’s right, no chicken wings, no ribs, no shanks. Oxtail? Forget it. Although I have preached from the pulpit of the church of the bone to her for many years, she just plain has a mental block and can’t do it. Which means that I’m deprived! So, I’m seizing my chance to treat myself to a nice, tender, flavorful ankle bone from a once cute and fluffy little critter that may have had a career in a petting zoo.
I have never prepared lamb shank. So in the spirit of striking while the creative iron was hot, I decided to wing it. I’d had a fantastic preparation of veal shank at a place called La Rustica located in West Seattle over the summer. The braising liquid used in that preparation included Balsamic vinegar, and it was fantastic. I figured I could come up with something on the fly that was similar enough. So here’s the list of stuff that went into the pot, and how I did it:
- 1 lamb shank
- Olive oil
- 1 large carrot, half chopped and half reserved
- 1/4 small white onion, chopped
- 4 whole shallots
- 4 whole cloves garlic
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and fresh ground pepper
- About 1/2 cup dry red wine (I used Cab)
- About 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
- About 1 cup beef stock (quick & dirty!)
- 6 fresh brussel sprouts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On the stove top, heat a heavy pot, such as a Dutch Oven, or, as I used, a Calphalon Chef’s Pan, over medium-high heat. Rinse the shank under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Season the shank liberally with salt and fresh ground pepper. Put a few tablespoons of olive oil in the pot, and brown the shank.
Browning the Shank
Don’t forget to hold it with your tongs and brown the large meaty end of the shank! After the shank is browned, remove it from the pot and let it rest on a plate. Reduce heat to medium, and sautee the onion and carrot. After several minutes, add the red wine and simmer until the wine is reduced by about half. Add the Balsamic vinegar and the beef stock, and continue to simmer for a few minutes.
Here is a little trick I like to do when braising meat.
Shank Resting on Carrots
Instead of putting a metal rack in the bottom of the pot to keep the meat elevated above the braising liquid, I often times cut a couple of large pieces of carrot and use them as a stand (see the photo).
Put 2 pieces of carrot in the pot, and carefully place the shank on top of them. Add the whole shallots and garlic cloves, bay leaf, and sprinkle the shank with the rosemary. Another shot of ground pepper for good measure, put a lid on it, and pop it in the oven.
All Seasoned and Ready to Cook
Immediately reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. The plan is to cook this baby for 3 hours, adding the brussel sprouts for the last hour of cooking. Prep time was a total of 30 minutes from the time I walked in the door until the shank was in the oven.
It's a Shank on a Plate!
I plated it on a bed of couscous that I had studded with toasted pine nuts. I also sauteed a sliced Portabello mushroom in some olive oil, very simply with salt and pepper, to go along side the shank. Hit the plate with some freshly chopped Italian parsley. How did it taste? Just dandy, thank you very much. Ah, the magic of the tough cut - all that cartilage, ligament and tendon submits to the power of slow-cooking and melts into a rich, semi-gelatinous final product. No, I did not have to use a knife on this, it was tender, moist and flavorful. The shallot bulbs and garlic cloves were caramelized to perfection, with hints of balsamic sweetness. The cooking time was spot-on; the meat was not falling off the bone (can you say “over done”?), but firm enough to survive removal from the pan and plating without coming unglued. Was this a perfect preparation? Almost, but not quite. Next time, I will increase the amount of initial liquid with about 2 cups of stock instead of 1. The liquid was nearly completely gone by the time it was finished - a bit to close to the wire for me. Also, I will add the brussel sprouts 30 mintutes prior to finishing instead of 1 hour. They were very tender and delicious, but I prefer them with a little more body and snap. And of course, I know, a bottle of Pinot Noir would have gone better with this, but I was in a Cab mood and it got the best of me. That is what being a Culinary Anarchist is all about - throwing the traiditions out the window and having it your way.
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