Hello, my dear readers, it's been a busy week full of quick, non-blog-worthy meals. I've returned with my most delicious concoction for a while. I've always loved a lamb shank, and this is my first time cooking my own. We use classic French techniques here, even with a mirepoix and some Dijon mustard. Thanks goes to dad on this one; it's adapted from his recipe. The meat is fall-off-the-bone tender, and what's more fun that picking up a huge piece of meat by the bone and just going at it, Medieval-style? The sauce is great poured over rice with the shank.
Ingredients
- One lamb shank
- 1/4 onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk celery
- 3/4 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1/2 cup crushed tomato
- 2 tbs Dijon mustard
- Chopped flat-leaf parsley
- Oregano
- Orange zest
- Salt and pepper
- Olive oil
Instructions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heat a little olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Dice the onion and saute until softened. While the onions cook, mince the garlic and add that partway through. Dice the celery and carrots and add these. Saute everything until lightly browned.
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| Mirepoix. Aren't I fancy now? |
Season the lamb shank on all sides with salt and pepper. Turn the heat up to medium-high and brown the shank on as many sides as is practical. Briefly remove the shank and add all the rest of the ingredients. Mix together and deglaze the pan.
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| After baking |
Return the shank to the pan. Tightly cover with foil and bake for 90 minutes. Periodically check the liquid to make sure it doesn't get too dried out. Consider also turning the shank over midway through baking. Be careful when you're taking it out, as the pan will be very hot.
Thanks for crediting me, son. That looks so wonderful. This dish follows that southern French "daube" tradition of stew making. I think the orange juice gives it just a tiny bit of sweetness to balance the acidity of the red wine and the orange zest gives a bit of brightness to offset the rich meatiness of the dish. The zest gives a little liveliness to this slow cooked meal. Rice is a great way to soak it all up. Try it with saffron rice, also a flavor of southern France. Of course, drink the wine that the dish is cooked with. Good luck to you on the exam and set your alarm for this crazy early exam. A 6am test? In humane!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, despite the meatiness of this dish, shank meat is relatively lean. The meat has a lot of connecting tissue which melts into a gelatinous richness that thickens the sauce. The sauce may have a little fat but it usually isn't a lot to even need skimming. It mat also not need all the 90 minutes that I first adviced. Check it a few times while cooking. As long as it is tender, it is done. I will send you the my trusty French-made Dutch oven for your next run at this. I have a bigger one now s I don't need the smaller one any more. You will enjoy it. It is eternal.
ReplyDeleteI should also point out that herbes de Provence, a southern French mix of herbs that is commercially available as a blend is also a good way of flavoring this dish. Typically, the blend contains savory, thyme, basil, fennel and lavender.
ReplyDelete