So, confession time. Until yesterday I had never cooked a shank. And for the life of me, I couldn’t tell you why. Maybe because, best to my recollection, I had never eaten a shank until last year when we were served braised lamb shanks prepared by my sister-in-law Katie. I was blown away by the wonderful flavor and tenderness of the meat. And then just before Christmas, our dear friend Phyllis served braised beef shanks at a small dinner party we were fortunate enough to attend. And it finally dawned on me that shanks were just braised meat. Duh. Basically, as simple as that!

So, after that, I bought a couple of lamb shanks and tucked them in our freezer.

Jump forward a few weeks, and our dear friend Todd posted about fixing lamb shanks and that did it! I had to venture into braised shanks land. And oh, my goodness. Braised shanks ARE REALLY EASY TO PREPARE. All I can say is “where have braised shanks been all my life?” (And thank you recipetineats.com for this wonderful recipe.) (And sorry for all the changes.) And just because I’m sure you too were wondering, a lamb ‘shank’ is the lower part in the rear leg. The same joint in pork is the ‘hock’ and in beef, the ‘leg’. The equivalent joints on the front legs are ‘fore shanks’ for lamb, ‘knuckles’ for pork, and ‘shins’ for beef. And since you too may never have seen either lamb or beef shanks sold at your local grocery store, lamb shanks look like this.

Beef shanks are large, round cuts of beef with a bone running through the middle, between 2-3 inches thick, from the lowest part of a cow’s leg, just above the hoof. Beef shanks look like this.

So, if you too have had your head buried in sand while everyone around you has been enjoying shanks, then take my word that lamb shanks are easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. And no, I haven’t prepared beef shanks yet. But you can count on me to do so in the next couple of weeks. And when I find a great recipe, I will pass it on to you. As far as where you can purchase lamb or beef shanks, I’m afraid you are on your own. Bug the butcher at your local grocery store. That’s what I plan to do!

And as always, peace and love to all.

2 lamb shanks

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper  

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

½ onion, finely diced

½ c. finely diced carrot

½ c. finely diced celery

2 garlic cloves, minced

1¼ c. dry red wine

1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes (preferably Italian)

1 T. tomato paste

1 c. chicken stock

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 bay leaf

Pat the lamb shanks dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in a heavy based pot over high heat. (I use my Le Creuset Dutch oven.)  Sear the lamb shanks until brown all over, for about 5 minutes. Remove lamb onto a plate and set aside.

Turn the heat down to medium low. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add red wine, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock, thyme, and bay leaves. Stir to combine.

Place the lamb shanks into the pot. Turn the stove up, bring liquid to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and transfer to a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 2 hours.

After 2 hours,remove the lid, and check to make sure the lamb meat is ultra tender.  If not, cover and keep cooking. (Ideal is tender meat but still just holding onto bone.)

Remove lamb onto plate and keep warm.

Pick out and discard bay leaves and thyme.

If required, bring veggie mixture to a simmer over medium heat and reduce slightly to a syrupy consistency. Or, if it is too thick, add a bit more chicken broth or water. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

Great served with Creamy Polenta (see recipe below)

And of course, both of these recipes can be doubled or tripled.

And if you have any left-over chunky sauce, don’t throw it away. Freeze it and add it to your favorite marinara sauce. That’s what I plan to do.

CREAMY POLENTA

2 c. water

¼ c. whole milk

scant ½ tsp. fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

½ c. polenta (I use Bob’s Red Mill yellow polenta)

½ tsp. extra virgin olive oil

In a medium pot, bring the water, milk, salt, and pepper to a high simmer. Slowly whisk in the polenta. Bring the heat to a very low simmer. Continue to whisk the polenta until it just starts to thicken. Then cover the pan and let the polenta cook for about 20 minutes.

Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon so that the polenta doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan. The polenta should be soft and tender when done.

If your polenta is too thick, whisk in a bit more water. (The polenta should be creamy.)

Turn off the heat and whisk in the olive oil. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Season to taste and serve hot.

Note: Polenta will thicken as it sits. If you are not serving it immediately, you can reheat it by whisking in more water or olive oil to make it smooth and creamy again.