Slow Roasted Lamb Shanks

"There are very few thing as tasty as slow cooked lamb shanks." Those are the comments from the the cook who originally submitted the recipe. I adopted this recipe. Let's have some fun and try this one. The reviewers seem to have liked it!

• Ready In: 8 hrs 30 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 6  lamb shanks, about 14 ounces each
•  salt and pepper
• 1  onion
• 1  large turnip (or rutabega)
• 1  carrot
• 2  celery ribs
• 1  head garlic
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 1  bunch thyme
• 1  rosemary sprig
• 1  teaspoon fennel seed
• 1  teaspoon  coriander seed
• 1  teaspoon whole black peppercorn
• 1  bay leaf
• 3  parsley sprigs
• 1 (750 ml) bottle dry white wine
• 1  quart water or 1  quart chicken broth or 1  quart lamb stock
•  chopped parsley (to garnish) (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
2. Rub the shanks with salt and pepper, then place them meaty-side up in a roasting pan.
3. Roast for 25 minutes, or until nicely browned.
4. Remove from oven.
5. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees.
6. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
7. Add the vegetables and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables soften, then caramelize.
8. Stir in the thyme, rosemary, fennel and coriander seeds, the peppercorns, bay leaf and parsley.
9. Increase the heat to high, add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
10. Boil until the liquid has reduced by one third.
11. Pour over the lamb, spreading the vegetables over, but not completely covering, the shanks.
12. Add enough of the water, chicken broth or lamb stock to almost cover the meat.
13. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and roast for 7 hours, basting with the pan juices every hour or so, and adding liquid as needed.
14. Remove the foil during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
15. At this point, the lamb should be fork-tender and falling off the bone.
16. Remove the shanks from the pan and let cool to room temperature.
17. Strain the braising liquid, pushing on the vegetables to get all of their goodness and skim off the fat. Best to refrigerate overnight and skim off the solidified fat.
18. When ready to serve, slowly reheat the shanks in the braising liquid.
19. To serve, roast your favorite root vegetables and spoon onto serving plates, center a lamb shank on each plate and spoon a little of the braising liquid over the top.
20. Garnish with parsley, if desired.