Lamb Shanks with Butternut Squash

For those of you snow-bound, this is a rich and hearty dish, perfect for a cold winter day. For me it conjures up images of ski lodges and cabernet, it’s so warm and comforting. Flavorful lamb shanks are first browned and then braised in red wine, stock, and aromatics. Then they are combined with white beans and roasted butternut squash.

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Lamb Shanks with Butternut Squash Recipe

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INGREDIENTS

• 6 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 Lamb shanks (1 lb each)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Cloves separated from an entire head of garlic, unpeeled
• 6 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
• 4 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 3 cups dry red wine
• 6 cups chicken stock (use gluten-free stock for gluten-free version)
• Two 1x3-inch strips of orange zest
• 3 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 4 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 4 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
• 1 1/3 cups cooked cannellini beans

METHOD

1 Heat 4 Tbsp of olive oil in a large cast-iron enameled casserole. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper, add them to the casserole and brown well on all sides, working in batches if necessary, about 8 minutes. Transfer the shanks to a plate.

 

2 Preheat the oven to 350°F and arrange two racks in the oven, one to hold the casserole and one to hold a baking sheet with the squash. Add the unpeeled garlic cloves, celery, carrots and onion to the casserole. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until glossy, about 2 minutes. Add the wine; boil over high heat until the liquid is very syrupy, about 15 minutes.

3 Return the shanks to the casserole and add the stock and orange zest. Bring to a simmer. Cover the casserole and braise the shanks in the oven for about 2 hours, or until the meat is very tender (when we cooked this dish it took 3 hours); turn the shanks from time to time as they cook.

4 Meanwhile, on a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash with the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven (along with the lamb) for about an hour, or until tender.

5 In a small bowl, mix the minced garlic with the parsley and lemon zest (the "gremolata"). Set aside.

6 Remove the shanks from the oven and transfer to a plate. Pass the sauce through a coarse strainer, pressing hard on the vegetables. Discard the vegetable pulp. Skim the fat from the surface of the sauce.

7 Return the sauce to the casserole, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Add the lamb shanks and squash; simmer just until warmed through. Add the cannellini beans, cover and remove from heat. Let stand for a few minutes to allow for the flavors to blend.

8 Spoon the vegetables and sauce into large shallow bowls and set the lamb shanks on top. Garnish with the gremolata and serve.

Lamb Shank Stew with Root Vegetables

These days when I step outside, I just want to turn around and go back in the house. Sacramento makes up for its blazingly hot summers with foggy, gloomy, dark, dismal, chilly winters, perfect weather, come to think of it, for hearty stews such as this one. Root vegetables rule the season, sweet carrots and parsnips, turnips, and the happily named rutabaga. (Rutabaga. Rutabaga. Sounds like it could be the name of a latin dance, doesn’t it?) This stew is loaded with flavor. Don’t forget the gremolata (parsley, lemon zest, garlic garnish which I forgot to photograph in the stew); it gives the stew a great zip. For those of you lamb-non-eaters, if you try it with beef (use chuck), let us know how it goes. I imagine it will be just as good.

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Lamb Shank Stew with Root Vegetables Recipe

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INGREDIENTS

• Olive oil
• 3 lbs of lamb shanks, each shank cut into a couple of pieces
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
• 2 celery ribs, coarsely chopped
• 4 carrots, 2 coarsely chopped, 2 cut into 2-inch segments, and quartered lengthwise
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 3 cups chicken stock*
• Two 1x3-inch strips of orange zest
• 1 medium rutabaga, roughly chopped (1 1/2 inch pieces)
• 1 medium turnip, roughly sliced or chopped (1 inch pieces)
• 2 parsnips, chopped

Gremolata

• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

*If cooking gluten-free use homemade chicken stock or gluten-free packaged stock.

METHOD

1 Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large Dutch oven on medium high heat. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper, add them to the casserole and brown well on all sides, working in batches if necessary. Transfer the shanks to a plate.

2 Add the unpeeled garlic cloves, celery, chopped carrots (half of your carrots, the other half are cut lengthwise to be used later in the recipe) and onion to the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, about 2 minutes. Add the wine; boil over high heat until the liquid is very syrupy, about 5 minutes.

3 Return the shanks to the pot and add the stock and orange zest. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to low, and braise the shank for 3 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone tender; turn the shanks from time to time as they cook.

4 Preheat oven to 350°F. Put the root vegetables (turnip, rutabaga, parsnips, and lengthwise-cut carrots) in a large baking pan and toss with enough olive oil to coat. Season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven for about an hour, or until tender.

5 In a small bowl, mix the minced garlic with the parsley and lemon zest (the "gremolata"). Set aside.

6 Remove the shanks from the pot and transfer to a plate. Pass the sauce through a coarse strainer, pressing hard on the vegetables. Discard the vegetable pulp. Skim the fat from the surface of the sauce.

7 Return the sauce to the pan, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Separate the lamb meat from the bones. Add the lamb meat and root vegetables; simmer just until warmed through.

Garnish with the gremolata and serve.

Lamb Korma

Are you a lover of books? My father, the English teacher, instilled in us an appreciation for literature. When I find a book I love I want to yell about it from the mountain top. Instead, my friends are the beneficiaries of this enthusiasm, since I typically find every excuse to send them a copy of the new favorite. Last year the book my friends received was The Lost World of the Kalahari by Laurens van der Post. This year it will be The Honey Thief, a beautifully written collection of fictional stories by Najaf Mazari, a Hazara Afghani refugee living in Australia, and his collaborator, novelist Robert Hillman.

In The Honey Thief, the authors carry us along, weaving one story into another, like a tapestry, rich in humor and humanity, of a world so different from ours—the Afghanistan we don’t see in the news. At the very end of the book there is a small collection of recipes, told as if you were right there in Mazari’s kitchen. Here’s an excerpt from the lamb qorma recipe:

Okay, the onions. In Afghanistan, we rarely fashion a meal without onions. What the world was like before onions were invented, I cannot imagine. So, the onions, three of them. Peel them to preserve as much of the outer flesh as possible….Once the onions are peeled, chop them up but not too fine. You need chunks of onion, not thin slices. Now heat some cooking oil in a big saucepan. I am serious when I say a big saucepan. For dishes like this, a big saucepan is your friend. Do you want to fill a smaller saucepan to the very brim? No.

and later,

This is going to take two hours. Read a book. Every fifteen minutes, put the book down and stir the saucepan. In this last hour, you are stirring the qorma, and you are reading your book. You started at two-thirty in the afternoon. Now it’s five in the afternoon. Turn off the qorma. If you are of my faith, wash and pray. If you are not, do whatever you must.

All of the recipes read like that, many with rough approximations of the amounts. For the following lamb korma (or qorma) recipe, we’ve stripped the recipe down to its essentials, making it easier to follow, but not nearly as entertaining as the original. I do recommend getting a copy of this book just for the pleasure of reading it. Mazari instructs us to serve his qorma with basmati rice. We didn’t have any rice so we served it with flatbread on the side instead. The stew is tangy and spicy and would be great with rice to sop up the extra liquid.

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Lamb Korma Recipe

• Prep time: 30 minutes
• Cook time: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Use only full fat plain yogurt for this recipe. Low fat or non-fat may separate.

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INGREDIENTS

• 8 cloves
• 1 Tbsp black peppercorns
• 5 green cardamom pods
• 1 Tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 heaping teaspoon cumin seeds
• 5 Tbsp of light sesame oil or canola oil
• 3 medium yellow onions, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 heaping Tbsp grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 heaping teaspoon paprika
• 1 stick of cinnamon, ground, or 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 4 very big, very ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks OR 1 28-ounce can whole, peeled tomatoes, cut in quarters
• 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder or leg, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/3 cups full fat plain yogurt (can use Greek style)
• Salt

METHOD

1 Using a mortar and pestle, grind the cloves until fine. Add the peppercorns and grind them roughly. Add the cardamom pods and crush them with the cloves and peppercorns.

 

2 Heat the oil over medium-low heat in a large, thick-bottomed pot with a lid. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the turmeric to the onions, and stir to coat. Add the cumin, coriander, paprika and cinnamon. Stir in the ground cloves, cardamom, and peppercorns. Add the crushed garlic and the grated ginger. Cook for 2 minutes.

 

3 Add the tomatoes (with their juices) to the pot and bring to a simmer.  Cook for 4 minutes.

4 Add the lamb pieces to the pot, stir to coat with the spices, onions and tomatoes, and let cook for 4 minutes.

 

5 Stir in the water and yogurt and mix well. Add salt to taste. Cover the pot, bring to a simmer and reduce heat to a very low simmer. Cook very gently for 2 hours or more, stirring every 15 minutes or so. The stew should cook at a bare simmer until the lamb is very tender. Serve with basmati rice and/or flatbread.

Lamb Curry

What a blessing it is to have friends, and parents of friends, who cook. I had this dish at my friend Elizabeth Abbott’s parent’s house and begged her mother Maria for the recipe, which, thankfully, she gave me. I changed it ever so slightly – added some raisins to the mix, and upped the spices. When at their house again recently, I showed Maria her recipe on the site. Delighted yet also surprised, she remarked, “But I don’t use raisins!,” and then added, “but that’s not a bad idea.” Whew. Saved by the spirit of experimentation. Maria is one of those people who is such a good cook, you are inspired to learn how just by being around her. Thank you Maria!

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Lamb Curry Recipe

• Cook time: 3 hours

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INGREDIENTS

• 2 lamb shanks AND 2 lamb shoulder steaks (yielding about 2 lbs of meat without the bone)
• 1 large onions, chopped, about 3 1/2 cups
• 3-5 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 2-3 Tbsp ghee (clarified butter) or 1 Tbsp olive oil with butter
• 2-3 Tbsp curry powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 Tbsp black pepper
• 1 Tbsp ground coriander
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 tsp thyme, dried
• 1/2 Meyer lemon sliced (with rind)
• 2 peeled and chopped apples (tart green granny smith if possible), about 2 cups
• 1/4 cup of raisins (my addition to Maria's recipe)
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth*
• 8-12 small potatoes, quartered, about 1 1/2 pounds
• Chutney, yogurt, rice

*If cooking gluten-free, use homemade chicken stock or gluten-free packaged broth.

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 300° F. On stovetop, add the ghee or the butter-and-oil mixture to a large covered pot or Dutch oven and turn the burner to medium-high. Brown the meat well and remove it from pan.

2 Add curry powder to the ghee or oil, turn the heat down to medium and cook gently for a minute or two. Add onions and garlic and cook 5 minutes. Return lamb to pan.

3 Add coriander, black pepper, cumin, rosemary, thyme, sliced lemon, apples, raisins, chicken broth, salt and pepper. Cover the pot and put it in the oven. Cook for 2 hours. Check at 2 hours to see if the meat is falling off the bone. It should be starting to do so. Add the potatoes and cook for another 45 minutes.

4 To serve, you can pull the meat off the bones or leave it on. Taste for salt and add some more curry powder or cayenne if you want things spicier. Serve over rice with chutney and yogurt.

Lamb Braised in Milk with Fennel

Lamb braised in milk. Huh? Okay, yes, I know it sounds weird (at least it did to me at first) but hear me out. It’s just a spin on a traditional Italian recipe of pork braised in milk, in which the milk reduces down to a rich and creamy white sauce. For you I-don’t-eat-lamb types, check out the links at the bottom of the recipe to a few excellent recipes for pork variations. For you lamb-lovers (and yes I admit that here in the US we are definitely in the minority) I urge you to give this treatment a try. My friend Peg made this for a few of us the other day, served over farro, and I couldn’t wait to make it. She got the recipe from Mario Batali, and I tweaked with it a bit. So good! Especially over the farro, though I’m guessing it would be just as good over brown rice (for the nutty dimension) or even mashed potatoes.

As for farro, it’s a grain popular in Italy that is slowly becoming more known here. It’s essentially a wheat berry, but with much less gluten than wheat. The term farro can refer to several differ varieties of wheat, including emmer and spelt. The farro I used in this recipe was farro piccolo, or einkhorn. It sort of tastes like barley, oats, and pasta all rolled into one.

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Lamb Braised in Milk with Fennel Recipe

You should be able to find boxed farro at Whole Foods or in some natural food stores. If you cannot find farro, you can substitute brown rice, for a similar nutty flavor. Although many farro cooking instructions call for soaking the grain overnight, I have not found it necessary so far.

If you use brown rice instead of farro, follow the directions on the package for making the rice (not the farro directions listed here). This dish can also be served with plain white rice, barley, or mashed potatoes.

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INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• Salt and pepper
• 1 fennel bulb, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed (use mortar and pestle, or chop finely with a chef's knife)
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 sprig rosemary

• 2 cups farro (can substitute brown rice)
• Salt

METHOD

1 In a large (5 to 6 quart) thick-bottomed Dutch oven, heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil on medium high. Pat dry the lamb pieces. Season well with salt and pepper. Working in batches, place lamb pieces in the pan (do not crowd). Do not stir. Turn only once a side has browned. Brown all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.

2 Reduce heat in pan to medium. Add remaining 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add the diced fennel and cook a few minutes until softened, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Add the garlic and crushed fennel seeds.

3 Add the meat back into the pot. Add the milk and cream. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, add the sprig of rosemary, cover. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours until meat is tender.

4 While the lamb is cooking, prepare the farro (or brown rice). The farro will take about 45 minutes to cook, after which it can be kept warm, so time accordingly. Rinse farro through a sieve until the water runs clear. Add it to a large, thick-bottomed saucepan. Cover with about two inches of water and add about a tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer, partially cover and let cook for 45 minutes or until tender. Drain of excess water and set aside until you are ready to use it.

5 Once the lamb is tender, remove the pieces from the pot and set aside. Discard the rosemary. Bring the milk cream sauce to a boil over high heat and reduce to about 2 cups. Working in batches, purée in a blender (or with an immersion blender) until smooth. (When puréeing hot liquids in a blender it's best to work with relatively small amounts, filling just maybe a quarter of the blender. Otherwise the pressure can blow the top off the blender and make a hot mess.) Return the sauce and the lamb to the pot and if needed heat until warm through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Before serving, stir in the fresh chopped parsley.

Serve the braised lamb over warm farro.

Irish Lamb Stew with a Twist

Around St. Patrick’s Day I notice many people coming to this site looking for an Irish lamb stew recipe. After some experimentation and a lot of research into Irish stews, I’ve settled on a stew that has its roots in the traditional approach, but takes a few detours to add a bit more flavor.

Traditionally, Irish stew is made with mature lamb (year old) or mutton, potatoes, onions, and water, and is simply cooked low and slow. Where we make embellishments with this recipe is that we work with lamb shoulder, the meat is browned first, in bacon fat, and carrots, bacon, and thyme are all added. All of these steps are to bring a richer flavor to the stew. (If you want, you can skip any or all of these additions.)

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Irish Lamb Stew with a Twist Recipe

• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 2 hours

Cook the lamb pieces bone-in for better flavor, especially if using water instead of lamb stock. If you want, remove the bones before serving. Turnips are strongly flavored and add a good balance for the stew, so use them if you can. A waxy potato like a Yukon gold will hold up better for long cooking, but you can also use a starchy potato like a Russet, it will likely fall apart a bit, but that just thickens the stew. More barley will thicken the stew further.

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INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder or shoulder blade chops, bone-in, trimmed of excess fat
• 6 slices bacon, thickly cut
• 2 pounds potatoes (Yukon gold preferred), peeled, quartered
• 2 large onions, quartered
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch segments
• 1 turnip, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 heaping tablespoons pearl barley (omit for gluten-free version)
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 quart of water or lamb stock, warmed

METHOD

1 Heat a large (6-quart), thick-bottomed Dutch oven on medium heat. Layer the bacon on the bottom of the pan and cook the slices gently, a few minutes on each side, until much of the fat has been rendered out, and the slices have browned lightly. Place the cooked bacon strips on a paper-towel-lined plate to absorb the excess fat. Chop the bacon and set aside.

2 Remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the pan (do not pour the removed fat down the drain or it will clog the drain pipes). Increase the heat to medium high. Working in batches as to not crowd the pan, brown the lamb pieces on all sides, taking care not to stir the lamb pieces so they can get sufficiently browned.

 

3 Arrange the meat and vegetables in the pan in layers. Start first with a layer of lamb, then add a layer of potatoes, onions, turnips, carrots, and chopped bacon. Add another layer of lamb and then another of vegetables. Add the barley, thyme, black pepper and a teaspoon of salt. Add water or stock to the pot, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a bare simmer. Let simmer, covered, but with the lid slightly ajar, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the meat is fork tender and falling off the bones.

3 Skim any excess fat from the stew. Use tongs to pick out and remove bones. Adjust seasonings, adding salt and pepper to taste.