We’re finding it harder and harder to find American lamb. So, when Doug and I were strolling through the meat department at BJ’s, we were delighted to see various forms of American lamb – ground, chops,
and shanks.
We opted to purchase a package of ground lamb and a twin-pack of shanks. Ground lamb can be used for so many recipes – lule kebab, various meatball recipes, lahmajoun topping, kufteh, kufteh balls, lamb
burgers, etc.
One lamb shank is often a hearty meal on its own. The two that we purchased were meaty enough to feed a small army!
My sous chef, Doug, chose to make braised lamb shanks with vegetables – a two-day process.
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| Our lamb shank and vegetable dinner! |
Here’s what he did:
Day 1:
Doug placed the shanks in a large pot then added enough water to just cover the shanks. He lightly salted the water and brought it to a boil. He placed the lid on the pot in a tilted manner, then reduced the heat to medium-low. As the shanks cooked, he skimmed-off any foam or residue that rose to the surface, and added more water as needed. Finally, he cooked the shanks for about 2 hours. By doing this, he cut down on the cooking time on serving day – and – ended up with a large bowl of lamb broth for future recipes – soup, lamb and string bean stew, or whatever we were inspired to prepare.
NOTE: The broth was allowed to cool a bit, then placed in a large bowl with a cover. He refrigerated it overnight. Next day, he skimmed-off and discarded any fat that rose to the top. Some broth was used to prepare the shanks; the remaining broth was stored in smaller containers and placed in the freezer for future recipes.
Day 2 – Serving Day: |
| Lamb shanks and vegetables ready to serve |
First, Doug sautéed 1 medium onion – chopped, 3 chopped carrots, 2 stalks chopped celery and 2 chopped garlic cloves in 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large pot. Then he added the shanks, 2 bay leaves, 2 cups of the lamb broth, and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste.
He placed a cover on the pot; brought it to a boil, then reduced the heat to simmer -at this point the pot cover was tilted. The shanks simmered for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours while Doug checked periodically to make sure there was still enough liquid and that everything was cooking without burning. He checked to see if the seasonings needed to be adjusted.
Once done, the tender, falling-off-the-bone lamb, was served in individual bowls over a bed of cooked noodles (rice or bulgur pilaf would be great side dishes, too!) with plenty of the veggies and cooking liquid
from the pot.
Crusty bread (for dipping into the juices) and salad accompaniments helped make this a most-satisfying meal!
By the way, one shank fed the two of us!
Some of the meat from the second shank was shredded and added to a string bean stew, while smaller bits of leftover meat were turned into a breakfast hash with over-medium eggs on top!