Braised Italian Lamb Shanks with Gremolata
Italian comfort food. Serve with escarole greens sauteed with garlic and chicken broth or a tossed salad.
4 lamb shanks
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 large carrots, sliced
6 garlic cloves, sliced
One, 32-ounce can whole plum tomatoes
3 cups white wine
Two 3 inch strips of zest from a large lemon – use a vegetable peeler and a light hand to avoid peeling off too much white as you peel the strips of zest
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest - just the yellow part
2 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and pepper
Sear the lamb pieces in olive oil in a Dutch oven until well browned– this takes a good 15 to 20 minutes. Take your time to make them nice and brown to develop rich flavor for your sauce. Remove to a bowl.
Add the onion, carrots, and garlic - sauté until softened and the onions are golden brown. Stir in the tomatoes, wine, and lemon peel – nestle the lamb pieces into the vegetables. Turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 2 to 2 ½ hours, until meat is very tender and easily pulls off the bone.
Prepare the gremolata by grinding the parsley, lemon zest, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt and ample black pepper until the texture of damp sand.
Carefully remove the meat to a serving platter and spoon over the sauce. Top with heavy handed sprinkle of the gremolata
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