Braised Lamb Shanks with Gremolata
- 6 lamb shanks
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 10 cloves garlic, minced Several sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, stems removed and needles coarsely chopped
- 5 medium carrots, finely chopped
- 2 ribs celery, finely chopped
- 1 bottle good red table wine
- 1 28 ounce diced tomatoes and juices
- 2 lemons
- 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
Rinse lamb shanks under cold water and pat dry. Season well with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed dutch oven over medium heat until just shimmering. Working in batches, add shanks and sear all sides until golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove shanks from dutch oven and set aside. Add onions and cook, stirring often until soft and translucent and a nice caramel, about 5 minutes. Add all but about 1 teaspoon minced garlic, thyme and rosemary and cook a minute or two more. Add carrots and celery. Season with more salt and pepper and cook until vegetables soften, about 10 minutes. Heat oven to 300. Return shanks to dutch oven. Add wine and tomatoes and enough water so shanks are almost totally submerged. Increase heat and bring liquid to just under a boil. Cover and transfer to oven. Let cook until meat is totally tender and easily pulls away from the bone, about 2 and a half hours.
Meanwhile. Use a vegetable peeler to remove peel from lemon in long strips, avoiding as much of pith as possible. Cut zest into long strips. Come with reserved teaspoon garlic and chopped parsley. Set aside. Remove lamb shanks from oven. Thicken cooking liquid by removing shanks from dutch oven and boiling sauce down to desired consistency - return shanks to pot to warm. Stir in gremolata just before serving.