Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 6 American lamb shanks
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, (roughly chopped)
• 2 celery ribs, (chopped)
• 3 large carrots, (peeled and cut into large pieces)
• 1 pound baby potatoes, (scrubbed)
• 2 cups dry red wine (I like Merlot)
• 3 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 28- ounce can peeled tomatoes
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary

Steps

1. 1

   Get ready. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix all of the Spice Mix ingredients together in a small bowl. Pat the lamb shanks dry and season all over with the spice mix.

2. 2

   Sear the lamb. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Working in batches, brown the lamb shanks until golden on all sides (about 8 mins or so). Transfer to a large tray or bowl for now.

3. 3

   Saute the veggies. Carefully pour off any excess fat and return the pot to medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Saute until the vegetables gain some color, 5-7 minutes.

4. 4

   Make the braising liquid. Add the red wine and scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cook briefly so that the wine reduces a bit, then add the broth, tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, thyme, and rosemary. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper. Return lamb shanks back to the pot; press down to submerge. Boil for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off.

5. 5

   Oven-braise the lamb. Cover the pot and transfer to the hot oven for 2 1/2 hours. (It’s a good idea to check periodically through cooking just in case you need to add a little more liquid. When the shanks finish cooking, the liquid will have reduced to about 1/3 of what it was when you started.)

6. 6

   Serve. Serve the lamb shanks hot on a bed of rice or orzo with a little of the veggies and braising sauce on top. Enjoy!