Herb Marinated Braised Lamb Shanks

What is it about September that the minute it’s no longer oppressively hot we can’t wait to make a slow-cooked, braised stew? Perhaps it was that these lamb shanks had been sitting in our large freezer all summer long, and every time I opened it (usually to get out the ice cream maker bowl) there they were, just asking to be cooked. Finally it has cooled down enough that we can enjoy a hearty stew. Lamb shanks come from either the forelegs or the lower hind legs of a lamb, which get a lot of exercise, and therefore are great cuts for stews and slow-cooked braises. The long cooking time is needed to break down the tough connective tissue in the muscles. At the end of cooking the meat should just fall off the bone. With the addition of fresh tomatoes and zucchini, this herb-marinated lamb stew is a great dish for the end of summer and beginning of fall.

Print 

Herb Marinated Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe

Add to shopping list

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
• ½ Tbsp curry powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2-4 lamb shanks (1 to 1¼ lb each)
• 6 cups chicken stock or low-salt chicken broth
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed
• 2 carrots, peeled, cut lengthwise and then and cut into 2 inch segments
• 1 pound red-skinned new potatoes, quartered lengthwise
• 4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 2 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise
• 1 Tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp tomato paste

METHOD

1 Stir together in a small bowl the ground cumin, coriander, thyme, rosemary, curry powder, and salt. Mix in 1/4 cup olive oil. Place lamb shanks in large freezer bag. Add the spice oil to the bag. Rub spice oil all over shanks. Press the air out of the bag and seal the bag. Place in a dish to catch any leakage. Marinate 4 hours or overnight.

 

2 Preheat oven to 350°F. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in heavy large ovenproof pot over high heat. Remove lamb shanks from marinade bag and place in heated pan. Discard remaining marinade. Cook lamb shanks until brown on all sides, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add stock and garlic; bring to boil, cover and transfer to oven. Cook 1 hour; remove from oven and turn lamb shanks over. Cover and continue cooking until lamb is tender, about 45 minutes longer.

Using tongs, transfer lamb to platter; tent with foil to keep warm.

 

3 Bring liquid in pot to simmer over medium heat. Add carrots; simmer 10 minutes. Add potatoes to liquid and simmer 5 minutes longer. Add tomatoes and zucchini to liquid and simmer until vegetables are just tender, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer vegetables to platter with lamb. Spoon off fat from braising liquid, reserving 1 tablespoon.

4 Heat reserved fat in heavy large skillet over medium heat. (If there is no fat, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil instead.) Whisk in flour; stir 2 minutes. Whisk in tomato paste and 1 cup of the braising liquid. Add back into the pot with the rest of the braising liquid. Boil for a couple minutes until slightly thickened. Add back the vegetables and the lamb shanks. If you want, use a couple forks to break away the lamb meat from the bones. Discard the bones.

Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb

Where to start? Somehow I suspect that the following method – fat is good, flame is good – is going to get me in trouble with some of you. But since this was the best lamb roast I’ve ever eaten in my life, I will forge ahead and tell you how we did it. The lamb roast was succulent – crusty, flavorful char on the outside, pink and tender on the inside. Many recipes call for trimming off the excess fat from the lamb roast. I did that once to a prime rib roast and have never forgiven myself. Later I learned from my dear mother that “excess fat” was anything more than an inch thick in her book. The fat is needed to make the lamb tender and tasty. Trim it if you must, but leave some on. Note that the more fat on the lamb roast, the more likely you’ll have flare-ups when you grill. Flare-ups are okay as long as they are controlled and don’t get out of hand. The charring of the outside of the lamb, especially the fatty side, produces amazing flavor. By the way, it used to be that people were worried about char grilling being carcinogenic. Turns out if you marinate the meat in an acid-based marinade first, you negate the cancer-causing elements. (Grillers everywhere rejoice.)

Some people take offense at the very idea of using mint jelly with lamb. I wouldn’t have lamb without it. Homemade mint jelly is fantastic with lamb. And if we’re out, I’ve been known to chop up some fresh mint leaves just to go with the lamb. So, to each her own when it comes to the jelly. What is your favorite way to prepare leg of lamb?

Print 

Grilled Butterflied Leg of Lamb Recipe

• Prep time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
• Cook time: 1 hour

In this recipe we sear the lamb first, on both sides, grilling on high heat for a short amount of time. Then we cook the lamb on lower heat until it is cooked through. In our opinion, the only way to eat lamb is medium rare or rare. There is nothing more depressing than dried-out, over-cooked lamb. For this reason it is essential that you use a meat thermometer to test the internal temperature of the roast.

Add to shopping list

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 onion
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 Tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, or 1 Tbsp dried
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 boneless leg of lamb, 5 to 6 pounds, butterflied

METHOD

1 Put onion, garlic, rosemary, lemon zest, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil into a food processor and pulse to combine. (If you don't have a food processor, just chop the onions, garlic, and rosemary very well and combine with the rest.)

2 Sprinkle a generous amount of salt and pepper over the lamb. Place marinade and lamb into a 1-gallon freezer bag. Spread marinade over all sides of the meat. Seal the bag and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

 

3 Remove lamb from refrigerator and let come to room temperature (about 20 minutes). When ready to put on grill, remove from marinade bag. To help make the lamb easier to turn on the grill you can insert a couple of skewers through the lamb, crosswise. (A tip learned from Rick Rodgers in Kingsford Complete Grilling Cookbook.)

4 Prepare grill. If you are using a charcoal grill, prepare the coals so that they are double layered on one side of the grill, and sparsely single layered on the other side of the grill (this is called "banked" grilling). If you are using a gas grill, heat the grill on high on all burners to start. After the initial browning you will reduce the heat.

 

5 Place the lamb, fat side down, on the grill on the hot side (double layer charcoals). You will get likely get flareups, so be prepared with a squirt bottle of water or a couple of cups of water (if using a charcoal grill) to control the flames if needed. (My brother Matt swears by shaking the bottle of beer he is drinking to squirt some beer on the coals when needed for flareups.) Sear one side for 4 minutes, then flip the lamb over to sear the other side for another 4 minutes. Then, if you are using a charcoal grill, move the roast to the less hot side of the grill. If you are using a gas grill, lower the heat to low. You will want to maintain a temperature of 300-350°F. Cover the grill and let cook for an additional 35-45 minutes (depending on how thick, and how many pounds the roast is), until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast registers 130°F (for medium rare).

6 Transfer to a cutting board with a well to catch the juices. Cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes. Remove the skewers if you are using any. Cut across the grain, 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices. Serve slices on a warm platter; pour meat juices over the slices. Serve with mint jelly or horseradish. Serves 8-10.

Greek Meatballs

I found this recipe in the weekend edition of the Wall St. Journal as good “noshing” food for New Year’s and had to give it a try, with a few minor changes. It comes from chef Michael Symon of the Parea Greek restaurant in New York andLola & Lolita Bistro in Cleveland. The meatballs are quite tasty and work well dipped in a little yogurt.

Print 

Greek Meatballs Recipe

Add to shopping list

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 pound ground lamb
• 4 ounces salt pork, ground or finely minced
• Zest of 1 orange
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Greek yogurt for dipping

METHOD

 

1 Heat a small pan over medium heat and add oil, garlic, jalapeño and shallot, and cook for 1 minute, then let cool.

2 Meanwhile, crumble lamb into a large bowl. Evenly scatter salt pork, orange zest and mint over lamb, and season with pepper. Sprinkle the cooled garlic mixture over lamb. Gently mix until just combined, then form into 1¼-inch balls and transfer to a plate or sheet pan.

 

3 Heat a large cast iron pan over medium to medium high heat. Working in batches if necessary to prevent crowding, brown meatballs on all sides until cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Serve warm with toothpicks or skewers with plain yogurt.

Note: Meatballs can also be cooked ahead, refrigerated and reheated in the microwave on high for 2 minutes.

Makes about 20 meatballs.

Classic Rack of Lamb

I live for lamb chops. Juicy, tender, rare (please please give me rare), deep reddish pink, browned, crusty, herbed, fatty goodness. So when my father sent me on a mission to make rack of lamb (what? 8 lamb chops in a row?) I was all over it. My version (with guidance from Mike the butcher at Corti Brothers) uses a simple rub with olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, fresh chopped rosemary and thyme. The trick is to not go overboard with the herbs. The lamb tastes so good on its own, the seasoning should complement the lamb, not dominate it.

Beneath the recipe I’ve included links to rack of lamb recipes from other food bloggers, and a recipe for a breaded herb crusted version from chef Gordon Ramsay that my father likes. Do you have a favorite version? Please let us know about it in the comments.

Print 

Classic Rack of Lamb Recipe

• Prep time: 1 hour
• Cook time: 15 minutes

The cooking time depends on how big your rack of lamb is, and how rare you want it cooked. Rack of lamb should be cooked rare, or at most medium rare. The instructions are for a rack 1 1/2 to 2 pounds big. If you have a smaller roast (I've seen packages of just a pound), reduce the cooking time from 7 minutes to 5 minutes on 400, and use the lower end of the cooking time given at 300. If you are cooking multiple racks (unless you are doing a crown roast which is a different matter), lay them out separately on the pan, and estimate a roasting time based on just one rack, not the weight of the combined. Of course, use a meat thermometer! This is too lovely and tender a roast to risk overcooking.

Add to shopping list

INGREDIENTS

• 1 or more Frenched* lamb rib racks with 7 to 8 ribs each (1 1/2 to 2 pounds for each rack, figure each rack feeds 2-3 people)

For each rib rack:

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 Tbsp olive oil

*Typically you will buy a rack of lamb already "Frenched", or cut so that the rib bones are exposed. You can also ask your butcher to french them for you. For directions on how to French them yourself, see How to French a Rack of Lamb.

METHOD

1 Rub rib rack(s) all over with mixture of rosemary, thyme, and garlic. Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Place in a thick plastic bag with olive oil. Spread oil around so that it coats the lamb rack(s) all over. Squeeze out as much air as you can from the bag and seal. Place in a container so that if the bag leaks, the container catches the leak. If you want, place in the refrigerator overnight. Or, if you are not marinating overnight, let lamb rack(s) sit in the rub marinade as it comes to room temperature before cooking.

2 Remove lamb rack from refrigerator to 1-2 hours before you cook it so that it comes to room temp. (If the meat is not at room temperature it will be hard for it to cook evenly.)

3 Preheat oven to 400°F, arrange the oven rack so that the lamb will be in the middle of the oven. Score the fat, by making sharp shallow cuts through the fat, spaced about an inch apart. Sprinkle the rack all over with salt and pepper. Place the lamb rack bone side down (fat side up) on the pan. Wrap the exposed ribs in a little foil so that they don't burn.

4 Roast at 400°F for 7 minutes, then lower the heat to 300°F. Cook for 7-15 minutes longer (depending on the size of the lamb rack, or one of the lamb racks if you are cooking more than one), until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat 125°F on a for rare or 135°F for medium rare. Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Cut lamb chops away from the rack by slicing between the bones. Serve 2-3 chops per person.

Braised Lamb Shanks

The trick to delicious lamb shanks is to brown the shanks first.

Print 

Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe

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

Add to shopping list

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Lamb shanks
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 3-4 medium potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/4 cup stock or boiling water with a bullion cube
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 bay leaf

Optional, and highly recommended:

• 3/4 cup raisins, soaked in 1/2 cup sherry for a couple hours
• 1/2 cup of fresh mint leaves

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 350° F. Season lamb shanks with salt. Heat a Dutch oven or an oven-proof, thick-bottomed, pot with a tight fitting cover on medium high heat on the stovetop. Add the olive oil and brown the lamb shanks in the casserole pan on all sides. Remove shanks to a dish. 

2 Add onion, carrot and celery and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add potatoes and cook another 2 minutes. Add the garlic, lamb shanks, and herbs (except for the mint). If using, add the sherry and raisins; bring the sherry to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.

3 Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat, cover the pot and bake in the oven for 1 1/2 or 2 hours or until shanks are tender.

4 Remove the shanks, strip the meat from the bones and return the meat to the pan.

Serve with fresh mint leaves as garnish.

Basque Lamb Stew

Updated, from the recipe archive. First posted in 2005. Enjoy!

Are you familiar with Basque cooking? Basque Country is a region bordering Spain and France at the Western end of the Pyrenees mountains. Basque descendants and communities can be found all over California and Nevada. (More on the history of the Basque people in the Wikipedia.) Lamb stews are typical of Basque cuisine, as are dishes that include both tomatoes and sweet red peppers.

My father first found the recipe from which we adapted this basque lamb stew in an old issue of Saveur Magazine. He has at least 20 years of back issues of Gourmet, Saveur, and other cooking magazines that he keeps around just waiting for a spare moment to review. We’ve made this stew several times and just love it. It seems a little odd in that the lamb is first marinated in herbs and white wine, and then braised in stock and red wine. Mixing wines in cooking is so rarely done, but apparently it does happen on occasion in Spanish cooking (we’ve found references in Spanish cookbooks).

Print 

Basque Lamb Stew Recipe

• Prep time: 20 minutes
• Cook time: 4 hours

Feel free to substitute some or all of the paprika with smoked paprika.

Add to shopping list

INGREDIENTS

• 3 1/2 lbs. lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, about 1 tablespoon chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• Salt
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 10-ounce can roasted red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch strips
• 1 large ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup dry, full-bodied red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock*
• Freshly ground black pepper

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

METHOD

1 Combine the lamb, half of the garlic cloves, rosemary, and white wine in a medium bowl. Let marinate for 2 to 3 hours. Drain the meat, discard the marinade, and pat dry with paper towels. Mince the remaining garlic cloves and set aside.

2 Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan with lid, over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch. Salt the meat as it browns.

3 Remove the meat from the pan and add the onions to the pan. Cook, scraping browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute.

4 Return the meat to the pan with the onions and garlic. Stir in paprika, roasted peppers, tomatoes, parsley, bay leaf, and red wine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, allowing the liquids to reduce a bit. Then add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Add freshly ground black pepper and more salt to taste.

Serve with rustic bread. If you want, try garnishing with fresh mint leaves (though I have no idea how "Basque" that is, it just tastes good.)