Middle Eastern Style Lamb Shanks Recipes

PERSIAN LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Sprinkle shanks with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy based pot over medium high heat. Brown shanks all over, 2 at a time. Remove from pot.
• Discard excess oil, clean pot if it's very dirty.
• Add 1 tbsp oil. Cook onion and garlic for 2 minutes until translucent.
• Stir in the turmeric, cinnamon, tomatoes, and salt.
• Add chicken broth and stir well.
• Place shanks in pot, then add water as needed so the shanks are 3/4 or fully covered, but no more than 1L/4 cups water. (Note 2)
• If shanks not fully submerged, make a cartouche (baking paper lid, Note 3).
• Bring up to the boil. Place the cartouche snugly on surface (if using), cover pot leaving a little crack (to ensure it doesn't boil over).
• Turn heat down so simmering very gently. Cook 1.5 hours, turning every 30 minutes.
• Add cardamom and nutmeg into liquid.
• Cook for another 1 hour until meat is very tender and falling off the bone.
• Carefully remove meat from liquid into a bowl and cover with foil.

MEDITERRANEAN LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottom saucepan. Add the shanks and sear over medium heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
• Add the onion, garlic, celery root, carrots, olives and ginger. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove vegetables from pot and set aside.
• Add the wine, increase the heat to high and simmer until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes.
• Add the remaining ingredients, except coriander leaves and parsley leaves. Stir to combine. Return the shanks and vegetables to the saucepan. Cover partly and simmer gently over medium-low heat until the meat begins to fall off the bone, about 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, combine the coriander and the parsley in a bowl. Set aside. Remove the bay leaf from the saucepan and discard. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide the shanks among 4 plates. Ladle the sauce over each shank. Garnish with the coriander-parsley mixture and serve immediately. Serve with white bean puree (recipe below).

PERSIAN-SPICED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Trim any excess fat from lamb shanks and season generously with salt. Mix together the cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, rosebuds (if using), black pepper and turmeric. Sprinkle evenly over shanks and rub into meat. Let sit at room temperature at least an hour, or wrap and refrigerate overnight, then bring to room temperature.
• Place a Dutch oven or deep, heavy pot over medium-high heat and add oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. When oil is hot, add 2 lamb shanks and fry until nicely browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside, then brown the 2 remaining shanks.
• Meanwhile, put saffron in a small bowl with lime juice, 2 teaspoons rosewater and 1/2 cup warm water. Let steep for 10 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Carefully remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from Dutch oven. Add chopped onion and cook over medium heat until softened and lightly colored, 8 to 10 minutes. Season onion with salt, then add lime zest, orange zest, thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in saffron mixture. Lay in the lamb shanks and add the broth. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover pot.
• Transfer pot to oven and bake for about 1 1/2 hours, covered, until meat is tender when probed and beginning to fall from the bone. Remove lamb shanks to a deep serving dish and keep warm. Strain braising juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with a wooden spoon to obtain all the liquid (discard thyme, bay leaves and onions). Skim fat, then taste and add salt if necessary. Add 1 more teaspoon rosewater, if desired. Reheat strained juices and pour over lamb shanks. Combine parsley, mint and reserved orange zest and sprinkle over top.
• Use a large spoon to break the tender shank meat into large chunks. Serve in low, wide soup plates, giving each portion a spoonful of the juices. Accompany with steamed Basmati rice, lavash flatbread or a loaf of crusty French bread.

MIDDLE EASTERN-STYLE LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shanks and cook, turning for 5 minutes or until brown. Remove to a plate.
• Add the onion and garlic, and cook gently for about 5 minutes or until soft.
• Add the spices and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds.
• Return the lamb shanks to the saucepan with the tomatoes and stock, and bring to the boil.
• Reduce the heat to a medium-low simmer and cook for one hour covered.
• Uncover and cook a further 30 minutes or until the lamb is tender.
• Remove the lamb and keep warm, increase the heat under the saucepan to high and bring the stock mixture to the boil.
• Boil, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce thickens (it WILL happen and is much nicer than a flour thickened sauce!).
• Sprinkle with fresh coriander leaves and serve with yogurt on the side.

MOROCCAN BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil, onion, chile, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add celery, carrot, cumin, coriander, oregano, cinnamon, star anise, and saffron. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until vegetables are soft and fragrant; season with salt and pepper.
• Add chicken stock, tomatoes, apricots, and olives; bring to a boil. Add lamb, making sure it is submerged halfway; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to oven and cook, rotating lamb every 30 minutes, until meat is evenly browned and falling off the bone, and sauce is thickened.

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.