Lamb Shanks Braised Turkish Style With Roasted Plums Recipes

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES AND BUCKWHEAT (KASHA) BREAD

Steps:

• For the lamb: In a large, heavy-bottomed braising pan or Dutch oven, heat the oil to very hot. Brown the lamb shanks 2 at a time. Remove them to a side platter. Add the onions and cook until lightly colored. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Return the lamb shanks to the pan and cover 2/3 up with chicken stock. On low flame, cook for 1 hour, repositioning the shanks for even cooking until very tender. Remove the shanks and strain the stock. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Skim off most of the fat and bring stock to slow boil in the pan. Blanch the potatoes in the stock for 2 minutes. Transfer to roasting pan and set in oven. Blanch and transfer carrots, then parsnips and then zucchini in same manner. Roast vegetables for 10 minutes. Add lamb shanks to roasting pan with vegetables after 5 minutes and roast them for the final 5 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar to stock and reduce over high heat until thickened. Adjust vinegar to taste. Serve shanks with vegetables and sauce.
• For the bread: Preheat oven to 375 degrees Lightly coat a 9 by 9-inch baking pan with 2 teaspoons of the butter. Put the cornmeal in the pan and shake to coat. In a bowl, stir together the kasha, flour, baking powder and salt. Mix in eggs, onion and buttermilk, then the remaining butter. Transfer to prepared pan and bake for 18 minutes or set and crusty. When cool enough, cut into squares.

FLAVORFUL PERSIAN BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Rub 1 tablespoon olive oil over lamb shanks and cover with salt.
• Mix turmeric, cinnamon, cardamom, black pepper, cumin, and nutmeg together in a small bowl. Sprinkle over lamb shanks. Let lamb shanks marinate for 1 hour at room temperature.
• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pot. Cook and stir onion until browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
• Whisk hot water, lime juice, rose water, and saffron together in a small bowl. Cover and let steep for 10 minutes.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook lamb shanks in batches until browned, 5 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb shanks to a plate.
• Whisk wine into the pot, scraping any browned bits off the bottom. Add onion and garlic mixture, steeped saffron mixture, parsley, thyme, lime zest, and bay leaves. Return lamb shanks to the pot. Cover with chicken broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until lamb shanks are tender, about 2 1/2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C).
• Uncover pot and simmer until broth reduces slightly, about 20 minutes. Transfer lamb shanks to an oven-safe dish.
• Place lamb shanks in the preheated oven to keep warm.
• Bring broth to a boil; simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes. Spoon broth over lamb shanks.

SLOW-ROASTED TURKISH LAMB

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut lamb shoulder into 2 or 3 pieces, and place in a shallow 12-by-14-inch roasting pan or similar. Season generously with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with red pepper, if desired.
• Rub meat with olive oil, lemon juice and pomegranate molasses. Tuck thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, garlic cloves and onion halves here and there. Place in oven, uncovered, and roast for 30 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned.
• Turn meat browned-side down and add 2 cups of water to the pan. Cover tightly with foil or lid. Reduce heat to 325 degrees. Cook, covered, until meat is absolutely fork tender and beginning to fall apart, about 3 1/2 hours total. Uncover during last 30 minutes of cooking if you want to brown the meat a bit more.
• Remove meat to a cutting board. Pour pan juices into a skillet (discard herbs and garlic). Skim and discard excess fat from surface. Bring to a boil and simmer until about a cup remains.
• Chop or shred meat into 1-inch chunks or rough slices. Transfer to a warm platter and pour juices over. (Alternatively, leave meat in pan with reduced juices until ready to serve.) Garnish with persimmon and pomegranate (if using), parsley, mint and lemon wedges. Serve yogurt on the side.

LAMB SHANKS, BRAISED TURKISH-STYLE WITH ROASTED PLUMS

Steps:

• Mix the paprika, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Rub the spice mix into the lamb shanks creating a spice covering that coats the lamb completely. Set aside 10 minutes.
• Heat the oil over medium heat in a large lidded saucepan. Add the onions and begin to brown them stirring occasionally. Add the plums that you have pitted along with the sugar and cook for a few minutes with the onions. Remove the onions and plums with a slotted spoon and add the seasoned lamb to the saucepan oven and brown the lamb well on all sides.
• Add the white wine and cook down by half. Add the hot stock and return the onions and plums to the pot. Adjust the seasoning, set at a simmer, cover and cook for 90-120 minutes or until the lamb is fork tender. Serve with saffron rice.

TURKISH BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH ROASTED PLUMS

Steps:

• Mix the paprika, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, all spice, cloves, salt and pepper in a bowl. Rub the spice mix into the lamb shanks creating a spice covering that coats the lamb completely. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven. Add the onions and begin to brown them stirring occasionally. Add the plums that you have pitted along with the sugar and cook for a few minutes with the onions. Remove the onions and plums with a slotted spoon and add the seasoned lamb to the hot dutch oven and brown the lamb well on all sides. Add the white wine and cook down by half. Add the hot stock and return the onions and plums to the pot. Adjust the seasoning, set at a simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the lamb is fork tender. Serve with almond and saffron rice.

ROSEMARY BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Sprinkle shanks with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook shanks until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer shanks to plate.
• Add onions, carrots and garlic to pot and saute until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in wine, tomatoes, chicken broth and beef broth. Season with rosemary and thyme. Return shanks to pot, pressing down to submerge. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover, and simmer until meat is tender, about 2 hours.
• Remove cover from pot. Simmer about 20 minutes longer. Transfer shanks to platter, place in a warm oven. Boil juices in pot until thickened, about 15 minutes. Spoon over shanks.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• In a heavy bottomed stock pot or dutch oven, heat oil over medium high heat, add pancetta, cook until browned. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels, reserving fat in pot.
• Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Brown the shanks on all sides, over high heat in the reserved pot. Once they are browned, remove from pot.
• Add onion, celery, carrots and garlic to the pot. Cook until softened, 3-5 minutes. Add shanks back to pot and add wine, tomatoes, rsemary, thyme, bay leaves and just enough broth to cover the meat. Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer. Cook covered, 2-3 hours (until meat is tender)
• Remove lamb, rosemary sprigs, thyme and bay leaves from the pot and puree the sauce(immersion blender would be easiest). You may want to take some of the liquid out if there is too much - add back in gradually as you puree the sauce until it is the consistancy you like. Add the pancetta back in and serve shanks with the sauce over polenta or pasta.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH PEPPERS

Steps:

• Pat dry lamb shanks. In a heavy casserole or Dutch oven that will hold all the shanks, heat oil on medium-high. Add lamb shanks and brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove to a platter. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Add bell peppers and onions to the pan. Sauté, stirring, until the vegetables wilt and just begin to color, 5 to 6 minutes. Add garlic, dill seed, paprika and cinnamon. Stir. Add stock and wine. Bring to a simmer. Stir in tomato paste and oregano. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in lemon juice. Return lamb shanks to the pot along with any juices on the platter. Cover them with a piece of parchment or waxed paper, cover pot with lid, reduce heat to very low and cook about 2 hours, basting the shanks occasionally and turning them at least once until the meat is very tender when pierced with a knife.
• Remove shanks from the pot. Increase heat to medium and reduce sauce by about a third, about 10 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. Return shanks to the pot, baste and reheat. Serve directly from the casserole or transfer to a serving dish. Strew with fresh dill before serving.