Saba Braised Lamb Shanks Recipes

SABA-BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Place lamb shanks into a large bowl; drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and rosemary. Toss the lamb shanks to spread oil and seasonings over the meat.
• Spread onion slices and garlic cloves into the bottom of a heavy 9x12-inch baking dish. Lay lamb shanks over onions and garlic.
• Bake lamb in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C).
• Combine chicken broth and saba in a bowl. Pour mixture over the lamb shanks. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and place baking dish on a baking sheet.
• Bake lamb in the oven until a knife pierces the meat easily, 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat will be tender but not falling off the bone. Use tongs to turn the shanks over in the pan sauce. Increase temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Return shanks to oven and bake, uncovered, until meat is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn shanks over in the sauce after 10 minutes and check for tenderness; if still not tender enough, return to oven for 10 to 15 more minutes and test again.
• Transfer lamb shanks to a bowl and keep warm. Strain pan juices into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Skim any excess grease from top of sauce. Taste and season with salt; stir in fresh rosemary. Serve sauce drizzled over lamb shanks.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Coat a large Dutch oven generously with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Season the shanks generously with salt and add them to the pan. Brown well on all sides. This is an incredibly important step; do not rush it.
• Meanwhile, puree the onions, carrots, celery and garlic in a food processor until it becomes a coarse paste. Remove and set aside.
• Remove the shanks from the pan to a sheet tray. Discard the excess fat from the pan. Add a little more oil to coat the bottom of the pan and add the pureed veggies. Season with salt, to taste. Saute the veggies until they are very brown and aromatic, about 20 minutes. The brown veggies should form a sort of crust on the bottom of the pan, do not let this burn; it is where a lot of the flavor is! Don't rush this step either, since this is where you will develop the brown color and flavor.
• Add the tomato paste and brown for 5 minutes. Stir in the wine, chopped rosemary and thyme bundle. Stir frequently and cook until the wine has reduced by about half.
• Add the shanks back to the pot and pour in 3 to 4 cups of water. The shanks should be submersed, if they are not, add more water. Add the bay leaves to the pan, cover and put in the preheated oven. The cooking time will be about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Turn the shanks over about halfway through the cooking time. Check the shanks every 45 minutes or so. If the liquid has reduced too much add more water. Defat as you go.
• Remove the lid during the last 30 minutes of cooking time for maximum browning. When the shanks are done the meat should be incredibly tender and flavorful. Transfer to serving plates and garnish with Gremolata. Serve with Hard Polenta Cakes, if desired,
• Call yourself a superstar!!!
• In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and set aside until ready to use.

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Trim the fat off the lamb shanks, leaving only a thin layer. Salt and pepper them.
• Select a pan with a tight-fitting lid that is large enough for the shanks to rest side by side. Without adding any oil or water, warm the pan over low heat, place the shanks inside and brown them on all sides, allowing about 15 minutes for each side. This will take about 1 hour.
• When the shanks are browned, remove them from the pan. Add the diced carrot and shallots and the garlic cloves to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Deglaze the pan by adding 1/2 cup of water and scraping the bottom with a spoon. Add another cup of water, along with the thyme sprigs and celery leaves, and return the shanks to the pan. Lower the heat so that the liquid is barely simmering and cover the pan tightly to prevent steam from escaping. Braise the shanks for 2 hours.
• Remove the shanks from the pan and place them in a warm oven while you prepare the sauce. To make the sauce, puree the cooking juices, vegetables and garlic cloves in a food processor. Put this mixture into another pan, warm over low heat and add a generous amount of black pepper. Thin the sauce with water if necessary; it should be slightly viscous but still capable of being poured in an even stream.
• Mix the gremolata ingredients together and set aside. Remove the meat from the bones and arrange it on a warm platter or individual plates. Pour the sauce over and around the meat and sprinkle liberally with the gremolata.