May 7, 2010

Braised Lamb Shanks

Our weather has been crazy the last few days. I've seen rain, snow, sleet, and sunshine all within a matter of hours. Yes, I stand at the door and watch the weather. I lived in the desert for 40+ years where it rained so seldom, that's what people do... watch the rain! 

I've had these lamb shanks from Bear Paw Meats in the freezer for a while. There were two in a package and they only cost $1. I bought them frozen and they didn't look very meaty to me, so I've put off cooking them. A few days ago, I opened the freezer door and things started to slide out. I did a quick catch, a quick re-arrange and put these in the sink to thaw.

When they thawed, I was glad to see that they were very meaty and they cooked up so nice and tender. The picture might not look very appetizing, but I assure you this was a tasty meal to eat while the rain was falling from the sky!




Braised Lamb Shanks
4 lamb shanks
1 medium onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced on the thick side
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes (with juice)
2 cups water or broth
2 cups red wine
3 carrots, cut into chunks
Olive oil

Rinse and dry lamb shanks. Season with salt and pepper. Brown shanks in olive oil then remove from dutch oven.  In same pan (adding more olive oil, if necessary) sauté onions and celery until soft. Add mushrooms and cook until browned. Add tomatoes, water (or broth), wine and carrots. Return lamb shanks to pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 or 4 hours, until meat is tender and falling off bone. When lamb is done, remove shanks and thicken gravy with a cornstarch and water slurry. Return shanks to pan until serving time. Serve over rice, mashed potatoes, polenta, or pasta.

16 comments:

  1. Yum! I haven't made braised lamb shanks in a while, these sound fantastic!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mmmm, lamb shanks. Looks great! I need to get some, it's been a long time since I've had them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It's cold here in NJ today, lamb shanks sound like a great idea!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oooh Karen, these look yummy! It's so cold here today I'm now kicking myself for not thawing out two that I also have left in the freezer.. I'll probably wait til they slide out the door on their own too ;) LOL xoxo Happy Mothers Day Karen & congrats for winning that beautiful new dutch oven!

    ReplyDelete
  5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Yum, I do love lamb shanks and yours look so delicious. What a tasty dinner.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm a big fan of lamb. Even a bigger fan of mutton, actually, but that's not easy to find around here.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lamb shanks are a favorite in our family. I love what you've done with yours. They look wonderful. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings...Mary

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lamb shanks on a rainy day are perfect. And yours look good!

    ReplyDelete
  10. This looks like real comfort food. We've had some chilly/rainy days here too lately.

    ReplyDelete
  11. stinky weather here, too. this is close to osso bucco, and that's one of my favourite dishes.
    hope you had a great mother's day!

    ReplyDelete
  12. The weather has definitely been entertaining lately...you just don't know what to expect. This lamb sounds fall-off-the-bone delicious!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have been seeing shanks everywhere and have yet to make them. They do look so meaty and tender. Our weather has been horendous too! 30 degree temp fluctuations from day to day. Never know how to dress any more.

    ReplyDelete
  14. We love lamb shanks - there's something so lovely about tender, tasty meat and a delicious rich gravy! The weather is unusually hot here in the UK (80 degrees F)so I shall save this for next weekend - our Bank Holiday - when it is forecast to be cold and rainy!

    ReplyDelete
  15. LOL - I came from the dessert-ish West Texas area to Montana and the weather is an amazing change for me as well.

    These lamb shanks sound delicious! I've never braised lamb, but plan on doing this when the weather cools a bit. Thanks for the recipe!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting... I love to read your comments!

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...