Lamb Shanks W. Red Wine Sauce & Gremolata
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 lamb shanks around 2kg
- 1 large brown onion
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 large carrot
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 250 ml red wine
- 3 400 g canned diced tomatoes
- 500 ml chicken stock
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 1 large orange peel
- sea salt & freshly cracked pepper
For the Gremolata
- 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- zest of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) (without fan).
- Heat the oil in a large oven-proof pot which will fit all of the ingredients comfortably.
- Sear the lamb shanks in batches until they are golden brown on all sides.
- While you are searing the lamb shanks, place the onion, celery and garlic into a food processor until finely chopped.
- Remove the lamb shanks to a plate & turn down the heat. Add the onion mixture and cook for a few minutes until the vegetables have softenend.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for a few more minutes. Add the red wine and let the mixture bubble away for a few minutes to allow the alcohol to cook off.
- Add the tomatoes, stock, sugar, bay leaves, and orange peel. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it simmer gently for a few minutes.
- Return the lamb shanks to the pan, together with any meat juices on the plate. Make sure the shanks are well-submerged in the sauce. Place the lid on the pan, and place the pan into the oven for 2 hours to braise. Check the pan every 30 minutes or so to give it a stir.
- After 2 hours, place the pan back on the stove on low heat. Remove the lid.
- Skim off and discard as much fat as you can from the sauce. At this stage, the sauce should look quite thin.
- Let everything simmer gently, without the lid, for about 1 hour, or until the sauce has thickened nicely and the meat is very tender. Stir the sauce occasionally to make sure that it is not sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Taste the sauce for seasoning, and add salt and pepper. If it tastes too tart or sour, you might need more sugar.
- Make the gremolata by mixing together the parsley, garlic and lemon zest.
- Serve the lamb shanks with mashed potatoes and top with gremolata.