Delicious Lamb Shanks With A Spicy Brown Sugar Sauce Food

LAMB SHANKS & ORZO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Combine the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and dredge the lamb shanks in the mixture, shaking off the excess. In a large (13-inch) Dutch oven such as Le Creuset, heat 3 tablespoons of the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Add 2 lamb shanks and cook for 10 minutes, turning every few minutes, until browned on all sides. Transfer the shanks to a plate, add more grapeseed oil, and brown the remaining 2 shanks.
• Wipe out the Dutch oven with a paper towel, add the olive oil, and heat over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and rosemary and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the tomatoes, beef broth, wine, 4 teaspoons salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper. Add the lamb shanks, arranging them so they're almost completely submerged in the liquid. Tuck in the bay leaves and bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 2 hours, turning the shanks once while they cook.
• Stir in the orzo and return the lamb shanks to the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the orzo is cooked and the lamb shanks are very tender. Discard the bay leaves, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of white wine, and taste the orzo for seasonings. Serve hot.

CHEF JOHN'S BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Generously season lamb shanks with salt and black pepper.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place lamb shanks in the Dutch oven, cook, turning, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer shanks to a plate. Drain off remaining oil and fat so only 1 tablespoon remains in the Dutch oven.
• Stir onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt into the Dutch oven; decrease heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, chipotle chile powder, ancho chile powder, and ground cinnamon; stir to combine.
• Pour 1 cup chicken broth over onion mixture. Increase heat to high; when liquid boils, place lamb shanks in Dutch oven. Cover and cook in the preheated oven for 90 minutes.
• Remove Dutch oven and stir in jalapeno pepper, red bell pepper and 1/2 cup chicken stock; bring to a boil on the stovetop. Return pan to the oven and cook, uncovered, until lamb shanks are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer lamb to plate.
• Place Dutch oven on the stovetop over high heat; bring liquid to a boil and cook, skimming off any foam, until liquid is reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over lamb shanks and serve.

DELICIOUS LAMB SHANKS WITH A SPICY BROWN SUGAR SAUCE

Steps:

• Place lamb shanks with all marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Let sit in fridge overnight (24 hours before use).
• Preheat oven to 350.
• Brush olive oil on all sides of lamb shanks. Season shanks with salt and pepper.
• Heat a large oven proof roasting pan or dutch oven over HIGH heat. Add the shanks when the pot is hot and sear on all sides until golden brown, about 8-10 minutes (2 minutes per side). Remove shanks and set aside.
• In the same pot, add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until lightly golden brown over HIGH heat, 4-5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half, about 2-3 minutes. Add the thyme, stock, and lamb shanks and bring to a boil. Cover, place in the oven, and braise until the meat is tender, about 2 - 2.5 hours.
• Remove the shanks to a plate and tent loosely with foil. Stain the sauce through a finely meshed strainer and return liquid contents back to the pot and place over HIGH heat. Add the chiles (remove seeds unless you like a very spicy sauce) and brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced to sauce consistency (15-20 minutes - liquid should coat the back of a spoon). If after cooking down you would like a thicker sauce, mix flour with cold water in a measuring cup, then slowing whisk into sauce until reach desired consistency.
• Add the vinegar to the sauce and cook 1 minute over HIGH heat, season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Spoon the sauce over the lamb shanks. Recommend serving with a risotto milanese or polenta.