Spiced Lamb Shanks
I remember first trying lamb shanks when I was living in San Francisco: braised with oranges and olives, they were served on a fluffy pillow of mashed potatoes with a parsley and celeriac gremolata. And, yes, they were heavenly.
At the time, I was fresh out of culinary school and working at a restaurant close to the Ferry building. The menu was primarily upscale pizza, pastas and various Italian dishes, however, every Sunday the chef created a four course "farm menu", new and unique to that week. It was on one such night that the lamb shank appeared, perched upon its fluffy throne, silky sauce draped all around and crowned with a bright gremolata. But this dish was just one of a large arsenal of specials the chef would serve the guests who were privy to the marked day. I remember the feeling I had leading up to each Sunday: I was excited to be learning something different, and impatient for the taste of something new. Ultimately, Sunday dinners, were the best this restaurant had to offer, and I was able to be a part of that. I was honored to attend the farmers market along-side the chef, because it gave me the opportunity to learn what it took to create a menu. And once there, we would find inspiration in the huge variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs. It was there, among the stalls filled with honey, beans and fresh cheese, that the spark for the menu was lit.
I always thought it was impossible not to be inspired at the farmer's market.
There is so much vibrance, life and a near endless list of possibilities for these vegetables. Take an onion, for example, freshly plucked from the ground, and imagine 10 ways you might cook with it. Then imagine nearly everyone in the world has 10 different recipes that they would use it for. And that's just a humble onion! Due to my love of shanks, now any time I see them in the store, I immediately buy two, one is never enough. I created the following dish due to one such shopping trip. First there was a desire to be versatile because I was not totally sure what I wanted to enjoy them with. Because I came across the words "fenugreek cream", I was instantly drawn to the idea of lamb and fenugreek in sort of a curry persuasion. As a result, I decided these shanks would be spiced with fenugreek, cardamom, fennel, and coffee, seared and braised in pumpkin stock. To serve, I pulled the braised lamb and placed it atop Sweet Potato Curry with jasmine rice. They would certainly do as a main course as well, just reduce the broth a bit and serve with roasted parsnips and an herb salad.
These lamb shanks, spiced and then braised, will obtain the best flavor if you have time to season them one day prior to cooking.
However, if you happen to be cooking for tonight, the fact that you did not read this recipe yesterday will not ruin your chances for shank enjoyment. Just season them now, and let them sit while you prepare the rest of your ingredients.
I used pumpkin stock for three reasons: first off, I happened to have some on hand, secondly because we are coming into fall. And finally, I think it pairs nicely with the Sweet Potato Curry. If you have not made pumpkin stock chicken or vegetable stock will also do just fine. Or, if you have a special stock that you like to make and would like to try that out, you have my blessing. Some stocks that would go great with lamb include, but are certainly not limited to: Parmesan, mushroom, caramelized onion, and fennel.
I am intentionally not linking to recipes because I'd like to see what you come up with. I will put together a few recipes to post in the future, but in the meantime, feel free to share your successes and failures below.
Spiced Lamb Shanks
Ingredients
- 1 tsp fenugreek
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1/2 tsp fennel seed
- 1 clove
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp cumin seed
- 1 1/8 tsp ground coffee
- 1 red onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed with the side of your blade
- 2 tbsp grapeseed or avocado oil
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 1/2 c pumpkin stock
Instructions
- Make your spice mix by placing fenugreek, cardamom pods, fennel seed, cumin, black pepper, and cloves in a small pan over medium low heat. Swirl spices often to keep from burning.
- Once you have fragrant and toasty spices, transfer to a grinder and pulse into a course powder. Mix in cinnamon and coffee.
- Very lightly drizzle a bit of oil over your shanks and season with the spice mixture and a healthy amount of salt (not too much! Just the right amount).
- Wrap shanks tightly and store in the fridge overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 350 F.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven (make sure you have chosen a pot large enough to fit the length of the shank).
- Add the shanks to the pot and turn with the goal of getting a good sear on each side. In the meantime break up the onion and add it to the pot with the lamb. Add the garlic cloves as well. Continue stirring onions and garlic intermittently to keep them from burning.
- Remove shanks once they are seared properly and add the tomato paste to the pot with the onions. Stir to coat the onions and loosen any brown bits of flavor from the bottom of the pot.
- Add pumpkin stock and lamb shanks back to the pot, and bring to a boil. Cover your pot and move it into the oven.
- Braise shanks in the oven for 2 1/2 hours.
- Because shanks vary in size and meatiness, the cook time can vary quite a bit. Begin checking for tenderness at 2 1/2 hours. If they are on the meatier side they could take up to an hour longer. You are looking for tender meat that breaks apart easily. This can be checked with a fork or a pair of tongs.
- Serve on shank for a unique presentation, or pull meat once it has cooled to the touch and enjoy!