Mediterranean Braised Lamb Shanks

The engine of Mediterranean Week — one braise, three payouts

4 shanks · 30 min

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4 lamb shanks · salt & pepper · olive oil
2 leeks, sliced · 3 carrots, chunked · 1 onion · 6 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp tomato paste · 1 cup red wine
28 oz tomatoes (or 2 lb garden tomatoes)
3 cups stock · rosemary · thyme · 2 bay leaves

What you need

4 lamb shanks · salt & pepper · olive oil

2 leeks, sliced · 3 carrots, chunked · 1 onion · 6 garlic cloves

2 Tbsp tomato paste · 1 cup red wine

28 oz tomatoes (or 2 lb garden tomatoes)

3 cups stock · rosemary · thyme · 2 bay leaves

Sear the shanks. Salt well, brown hard on all sides in olive oil — deep color is the whole flavor base. Set aside.
Soften the aromatics. Leeks, carrots, onion, garlic in the drippings; stir in the tomato paste and cook it dark.
Deglaze & braise. Pour in the wine and scrape the pan; add the tomatoes, stock, and herbs, and settle the shanks back in. Cover and braise at 325°F for 2½–3 hours, until the meat slides off the bone.
Split the payout. Serve the best shanks over polenta, mash, or white beans. Pull the rest of the meat for Tuesday's flatbreads, and save the strained braising liquid for Friday's soup.

Steps — tap one to keep your place

1. Sear the shanks. Salt well, brown hard on all sides in olive oil — deep color is the whole flavor base. Set aside.

2. Soften the aromatics. Leeks, carrots, onion, garlic in the drippings; stir in the tomato paste and cook it dark.

3. Deglaze & braise. Pour in the wine and scrape the pan; add the tomatoes, stock, and herbs, and settle the shanks back in. Cover and braise at 325°F for 2½–3 hours, until the meat slides off the bone.

4. Split the payout. Serve the best shanks over polenta, mash, or white beans. Pull the rest of the meat for Tuesday's flatbreads, and save the strained braising liquid for Friday's soup.

No alcohol? swap the wine or beer for the same amount of stock, with a splash of vinegar or lemon for the brightness. Low salt — salt at the end and taste as you go; broth, cheese, and canned goods already bring salt.