Lamb Shanks in Guinness With Country Vegetables

Leslie in Texas's Note:

A hearty Irish-style meal that is perfect for cooler weather. This is delicious served with with Mashed Potatoes With Green Onions!For a perfect dessert at the end of this meal, try Recipe #54621! Originally from a 1995 Bon Appetit. I have substituted cubed potatoes for either the turnips, rutabagas, or both.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins
• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 lamb shanks (about 6 lbs. total)
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 5 cups chopped onions
• 4 cups beef broth
• 2 (12 ounce) bottles Guinness stout
• 4 carrots , peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 large parsnips , peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 rutabagas , peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

Directions:

1. Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper.
2. Coat lamb with flour and shake off excess; reserve remaining flour.
3. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
4. Add lamb to pot in batches and brown well; transfer with tongs to a bowl.
5. Reduce heat to medium and add the onions to the pot.
6. Sauté the onions until translucent,scraping up any browned bits of lamb, about 5 minutes.
7. Add reserved flour and cook, stirring for about 1 minute.
8. Return lamb shanks and any accumulated juices to the pot.
9. Add beef broth and the Guinness; cover and bring to a boil.
10. Reduce heat and simmer until meat is almost tender, about 1 hour.
11. Add carrots, parsnips and rutabagas to pot and simmer, uncovered, until meat and vegetables are tender and stew thickens slightly, about 40 minutes.
12. Spoon fat from surface of stew and serve.
13. This can be prepared one day ahead.
14. Cover and refrigerate.
15. Skim off any congealed fat from the surface and rewarm over low heat before serving.

Reviews

[Trinkets]

Thanks for sharing this recipe, it was my guideline to creating a very special dish. I didn't follow your recipe all the way to the end but it did give me inspiration. I used a local brew, seasoned the flour with thyme and s&p, and added leftover carrots that were cooked in an orange marmalade glaze, used the parsnips but not the rutabagas, added lots of garlic and cooked in a slow oven for 5 hours the first day then removed and chilled overnight, skimmed the fat and cooked some more. Served over creamy polenta, this was fabulous!

[Marietta Mary Lou]

I made this with BEEF shanks, in my quest for finding an alternative to osso-bucco. The whole family enjoyed it with the exception of the parsnips. (I KNEW not to put in rutabagas, and replaced them with red potatoes.) That is a matter of personal taste and I myself liked the dish "as is".

[Jan Waters]

The very best!! What a fantastic recipe! There were only three of us for dinner, so I cut the recipe in half. It was so wonderful that I'll be preparing it this weekend for guests! Thanks so very much for sharing!!!