Friday, March 11, 2011

Stout Braised Lamb Shanks



I love lamb. My family - not so much. If it were up to me I would cook lamb a lot more often but I have to suffice with ordering it when I eat out - The Outback Rack is a favorite - and cooking it as often as I can get away with it at home. Since my first goal is to cook to please those around me this is not very often. Well tonight, in honor of St Patrick's Day, I put lamb on the menu and braised it in stout. To further complicate things for the kids I put rutabagas in the stew. Hmmm, this was not going over well. But I loved it. The leftovers are going to be fabulous! The lamb was perfectly cooked and falling right off the bone. So, if you like lamb, here is what I made tonight:



Stout Braised Lamb Shanks
4 lamb shanks
2 tbs olive oil
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp each salt, pepper and paprika
1/2 cup each diced onion and celery
3-4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 12 oz bottle stout (I used Guinness)
1 generous sprig fresh rosemary
2 tsp beef base or bouillon
1 tsp herbs De Provence
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 large rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
4 small new potatoes, halved

I used my Schlemmer-topf to cook my braise in, so to start out I set it in the sink to soak.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Combine the flour, salt, pepper and paprika in a bag. Add the lamb shanks and shake to coat well. Put the lamb in the skillet and brown well on all sides. Remove the lamb to the schlemmer-topf. Add the onion, celery and garlic to the pan and cook until just tender, 3-4 minutes. Add to the lamb. Add 1/2 cup of the stout to the skillet along with the beef base and deglaze the pan and dissolve the base. Pour this over the lamb along with the remaining bottle of stout. Add the herbs.

Cover the casserole and place in a cold oven. Set the oven to 425 and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the casserole from the oven and add the remaining vegetables. Cover and return to the oven for 45 minutes to an hour or until the vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust the seasonings in the sauce. Serve in shallow bowls.

Bon Appetite!

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