Braised Lamb Shanks
April 19, 2010
This recipe is adapted from French chef Eric Lecerf's "Spice-Braised Leg of Lamb" in Food and Wine magazine.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lamb shanks
- 1 tablespoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon rosemary
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup chicken stock
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.
- Combine the garlic with the thyme, cumin seeds, rosemary, salt, ground cumin and coriander, coriander seeds and pepper in a bowl.
- Cut small slits in the meat, about 1 inch long, and rub the spice mixture into the lamb. Set aside any spice mixture that does not stick.
- Heat the oil in a oven safe pan or casserole, and brown the lamb on all sides. (about 2-3 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness).
- Add the stock, and any remaining spice mixture, and cover with a lid (or foil), and cook in the oven for 2.5 hours. Check the meat every 45 minutes or so, and baste it with the liquid if it appears dry.
- After its done, transfer the lamb to a cutting board. Strain the remaining juices and discard the fat, Slice the lamb thinly and serve with the juices.
Comments
1 over 15 years ago
Interesting - no wine used for braising. Was the cup of stock enough to go halfway up the shanks? Or is this more like a roast with constant basting?
Interesting - no wine used for braising. Was the cup of stock enough to go halfway up the shanks? Or is this more like a roast with constant basting?
2 over 15 years ago
I did add a little more stock than the recipe called for, to make the stock go up halfway. And also turned the pieces over once, after about 2 hours. I didn't need to baste it at all. The flavor of the meat is not as rich as when braised with wine, but I wanted something lighter than the wine based recipes.
I did add a little more stock than the recipe called for, to make the stock go up halfway. And also turned the pieces over once, after about 2 hours. I didn't need to baste it at all. The flavor of the meat is not as rich as when braised with wine, but I wanted something lighter than the wine based recipes.