Braised Lamb Shanks with Tomatoes and Olives
Makes 4 servings
I fell in love with lamb shanks, braised until tender enough to eat with a spoon, at New York bistros during the time when every chef with good classic training was going rustic. I knew the dish was actually simple, yet there was something about the way the slow-cooked meat seemed almost glazed, and the sauce, chunky and natural, seemed to tack between sweet and acidic, herbaceous and fruity, that made me think it was beyond the reach of mortal home cooks. Good thing I got over that! In truth, shanks are as easy to make as stews — they just look more impressive. The secret is patience. Spend a little time browning the meat and then just a few minutes more building the layers of flavor in the sauce — a mix of tomatoes, olives, herbs and strips of citrus zest that looks meek but, over time in the oven, turns bold and gives character to the dish.
a word on leftovers
The sauce is great over pasta — I like it with a short pasta, like fusilli. If you’ve got leftover meat, shred it over the pasta.
- 4 lamb shanks
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed, peanut or other neutral oil
- Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 garlic head, loose skin removed
- 2 carrots, peeled, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1 large or 2 medium onions, finely chopped, rinsed and patted dry
- Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- One 28-ounce (794-gram) can whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, with their juice
- 1 tablespoon anchovy paste or 4 oil-packed anchovies
- 1½ cups (360 ml) white wine
- 1 cup (240 ml) chicken broth
- 1 cup (about 150 grams) oil-cured black olives, pitted
- 2 wide strips tangerine, orange or lemon peel, white pith removed
- ¼ teaspoon Urfa pepper or a pinch of cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
Working Ahead
Like all classic braises, this is even better the day after it’s made. Keep it well covered in the refrigerator — you can hold it for up to 3 days — and reheat it gently on the stovetop or in a 325-degree-F oven.
Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat — your insurance against drips on the oven floor.
Choose a stockpot, Dutch oven or a large deep skillet with a cover — although the shanks will shrink as they cook, you need to be able to arrange them in a pot with all the other saucy ingredients and give everything room to bubble.
Pat the shanks dry with paper towels. Heat the vegetable oil in the pot over medium heat and brown the shanks on all sides, about 10 minutes. You’ll probably need to work in batches. When the shanks are browned, transfer them to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Pour out the oil in the pot and pour in the olive oil. Cut off just enough from the top of the head of garlic to reveal the cloves, and toss the garlic, carrots, onions and rosemary into the pot. Season with salt and cook over low heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened but not colored, 10 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, plunge kitchen scissors into the can of tomatoes and snip until they are bite-sized (or break them up with your hands).
Stir the anchovy paste or anchovies into the pot and cook, stirring, until dissolved into the mixture, a minute or two. Add 1 cup of the wine, turn up the heat and boil until it is just about evaporated. Add the remaining ½ cup wine, the broth, tomatoes with their liquid, the olives, citrus peel and pepper and stir everything around. Return the shanks to the pot, doing your best to almost submerge them. Seal the pot with a piece of foil and then the lid. Place the lined baking sheet in the oven and put the pot on it.
Braise for 2 hours and then check the shanks — if the meat is falling off the bone, they’re done; if it’s not, give them another 30 minutes or so. Pick out the garlic if you can — it may have fallen apart — and serve the shanks with the sauce.
Storing: Wrapped airtight, leftover shanks and sauce can be frozen for up to 2 months.
Lamb or Veal Osso Buco
The shank is the cut that gives us osso buco, thick rounds of meat with the marrow bone in the center. If you’d like, ask the butcher to cut the shank into rounds, and cook the pieces as you would the full shanks, but for about half the time — check the pot after 1 hour. You can also do this with veal, the more traditional meat for osso buco.
