Braised Lamb Shanks with fresh Rosemary

O how I love Lamb in all it's incarnations. Any serious thought to becoming a vegetarian goes out the window at the prospect of giving up Lamb. I buy frozen New Zealand shanks and in some places you can find fresh ones. They are expensive.

Here is a simple but O so yummy way to make shanks.

Browning and braising lamb shanks renders this delightful piece of lamb into a tender meal. The slow roasting tends to remove the lamb aroma some find offensive. Serve with rice or mashed potato to soak up the wonderful sauce.

4 lamb shanks (about 1kg)
salt and pepper
flour for dredging
oil for sautéing
2 onions chopped
10 cloves of garlic, halved, sprout removed and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
750 ml red wine
1 large can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
1 can each chicken and beef stock
3 stalks fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

Salt and pepper the lamb shanks and dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess. Heat oil in heavy bottom Dutch oven.
Brown shanks on all sides and remove .
Add onion, carrots and garlic and sauté until browned and softened.
Add wine tomatoes and stocks.
Add in rosemary and thyme.
Add shanks back into Dutch oven.
Bring to boil, cover and transfer into a 300 degree oven.
Slow roast in oven for 2 hours
Remove shanks from pot and keep warm.
Bring sauce to boil and reduce for 10 to 15 minutes (this will intensify the flavour and thicken the sauce)
Spoon sauce over lamb shanks and serve with rice or mash potato.

Some people hate Lamb.. all I can say is "all the more for me"!