American Lamb Shanks, Braciola Style

December 14, 2015

Edward Leonard, Vice President/Corporate Chef at Le Cordon Bleu Schools in North America, shared this lamb shank recipe that is bursting with Italian flavors. The chef suggests serving the shanks soft polenta and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Prep: 1 hr
Cook: 2 hrs 30 mins
Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

2 (2-1/2 to 3 pounds each) American Lamb shanks

dash Kosher salt and pepper, to taste

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

4 tbsp grated Pecorino Romano cheese

½ tbsp grated lemon rind

Extra-virgin olive oil, as needed

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

3 garlic cloves, sliced

3 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

1 (16 ounce) can crushed Roma tomatoes

1 cup demi-glace (see Note)

Directions

1Preheat the oven to 300°F. De-bone the shanks, keeping meat in one piece. (You can ask your butcher to do this for you.) Flatten the meat with a mallet and season with salt and pepper. Reserve the bones.

2In a bowl, combine the garlic, parsley, cheese, and lemon rind. Spread the mixture on each shank. Roll and tie each one with butcher’s string.

3Heat a heavy-bottomed pot on high heat, add some olive oil, and brown the shanks well on both sides; remove and reserve the meat.

4Add additional olive oil to the pan, turn the heat to medium, and sauté the onion, carrots, and garlic. When the vegetables are lightly browned, add the tomato paste and cook well. Deglaze the pan by adding the red wine. Stir in the crushed tomatoes and demi-glace. Add the reserved shank bones. Place the rolled shank meat on top of the bones and cover the pan.

5Braise until the meat is tender, about 2 hours. Remove the meat and bones. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper and adjust consistency as needed (you may need additional liquid).

TO SERVE

1Slice and serve the shanks, place the meat on a plate, and top it with a ladleful of sauce.

NOTE

1Demi-glace is a brown sauce made from veal or beef that is sometimes available pre-made at gourmet grocery stores.

Recipe and image provided by the American Lamb Board

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