Wine braised lamb shanks

Ingredients

• 1.2 to 1.6 Kilo Lamb shank (or shoulder), depending on people.
• 1/2 cut fennel (or 1 cup celery if you can’t get fennel)
• 1/2 cup celery
• 1 cup carrot
• 1 cup onion ( I used 1 shallot, 2 green onions, 2 baby onions )
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 heaping tsp (yield) crushed pepper (for meat)
• 2 heaping tsp maldon salt (for meat)
• 500 ml chicken stock
• 400g Polpa
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2.5 cups (625 ml) Red Wine (Monastrell Albecea used)
• 80g Klamata olives
• 80g Halkidiki (green greek) olives
• 1/3 cup olive brine from klamatas
• 4 fresh bay leaves
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions

1. chop carrot, onion, celery & fennel, set aside
2. Pat the lamb with dry brush with 1 tbsp olive oil ( so salt/pepper stick), sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in cast iron pot/dutch oven over medium-high heat.
4. Sear the lamb, 2 min per side.
5. remove lamb from the pot and set aside
6. In the same pot, cook the onion/celery/carrot on low until onions are soft (7-10 minutes)
7. Add everything else to pot, put into oven for 3.5 hours (ideal), turning over half way if you can.

Notes

• can substitute shoulder for shanks.
• if you’re doing half-shoulder, well, the bottom half effectively has a shank
• 1.7 kg seems to be the max for our pot
• if there’s too much stuff in the pot, then use less wine & polpa, but kep the same ratio. you can mix them ahead if that makes it easier
• see See creamy polenta recipe