Valentine's Day Dinner: Braised Lamb Shank

• 4 large lamb shanks, trimmed of excess fat
• 4 tbsp E.V. olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
• 3 celery stalks, cleaned and sliced thinly
• 1 large yellow onion, minced
• ½ red bell pepper, sliced thinly
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ cup tomato paste
• 1 cup of white wine (something drinkable please)
• 7 cups of chicken stock (I prefer low sodium, organic)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• Italian parsley to garnish
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Meanwhile, in a large pot, over medium heat, add the extra virgin olive oil. Just before the oil starts to smoke, season the lamb legs aggressively with kosher salt
and cracked pepper, and add them to the pot. Brown the shanks on all sides and remove to a plate. Pour out ½ of the oil and add the carrots, celery, onions and
red bell peppers to the pot. Cook the veg, and with a wooden spoon, scrape all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.

After the veg is sufficiently browned (about 5-6 minutes), add the garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute. Then make a small hole in the veg and add the tomato
paste and cook until a darker shade of red is noticeable. Add the white wine, cook until reduced, then add the chicken stock, bay leaves and rosemary. Bring the liquid to a simmer, add the lamb shanks back to the stock and place in the oven. Cook the shanks (the idea is to have bubbles barely breaking the surface
of the liquid in the oven) for 3 hours, covered. After the legs have finished cooking, remove the pot and leave it at room temperature for 45 minutes to allow the flavors to meld together and the meat to relax. Serve the lamb shanks with some lovely polenta and garnish with parsley leaves & lemon zest…you’ll be very
happy!

Yield: 4 portions
Inactive/Active Prep: 3 hours & 30 minutes (definitely worth it)
Ease of Prep: Easy