thefoodlessprocessed

These lamb shanks are distinguished by the fact that they are initially rubbed with the French spice blend quatre épices and roasted, rather than browned in fat. Then they are braised in Port wine. The spice and wine combination reduces to a rich, warmly spiced sauce.

A head of garlic roasts in olive oil alongside the shanks. The cloves become similar in texture and taste to garlic confit in which peeled garlic is covered in oil and heated just enough to soften it without browning. They are slipped out of their skins and added to the sauce made from the braising liquid.

There is no single formula for mixing up a small quantity of quatre épices. Below is one variation of this four-spice blend. The less processed criteria for selecting a brand of spice is explained here: Spices.

The other less processed ingredients are described through these links: Lamb Shanks, Imported Tawny Port PDO, Homemade Vegetable Stock, Garlic, Butter, Flour, and Olive Oil.

Equipment

• a Roasting Pan and Rack
• a Deep, Heavy-Bottomed Pot of about 5-quart capacity: for example, an Oval Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven of a 5.5 quart (about 6.25 liter) capacity.
• a Large Liquid Measuring Cup
• a Whisk for finishing the braising sauce
• a Small Mixing Bowl and Wooden Spoon for making the beurre manié
• a Flame Tamer (aka Heat Diffuser, Simmering Plate). The pot does not sit directly over the heat source. Some versions of flame tamers are compatible with a smooth-top burner. 

Ingredients

• 2 – 4 Lamb Shanks (1 per person)
• 2 Cups of Imported Tawny Port PDO, and a little more for deglazing the roasting pan
• approximately 2 Cups of Homemade Vegetable Stock: The amount depends upon the size of the braising pot. The stock is added until the liquid reaches halfway up the shanks. The stock recipe may be found here: Vegetable Stock.
• 1 Whole Head of Garlic
• 1 teaspoon of Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
• Quatre épices (Four-spice Blend): enough to coat the shanks. The recipe is directly below the ingredient list.
• around 2 and 1/4 teaspoons of Coarsely ground Black Pepper
• Beurre Manié made by creaming together in a small bowl with the back of a spoon 1 Tablespoon (about 14 g) of Softened European-style Unsalted Butter and 1 Tablespoon of European Unenriched All-Purpose Soft-Wheat Flour: If Hard Wheat Unenriched All-Purpose Flour (the American standard variety) is substituted, the sauce will simply have a somewhat thicker texture. The special qualities of beurre manié as a thickener are described in thefoodlessprocessed post: Beurre Manié

Mixing the Quatre épices (Four-spice Blend)

The less processed criteria for selecting a brand of spice is explained here: Spices. Less processed options for specific spices are discussed here: Cinnamon, Nutmeg.

• 1 Tablespoon of finely ground Black Pepper
• 1 teaspoon of Organic ground Nutmeg or freshly grated Nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon of Organic ground Ceylon Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon of Allspice

Mix the four spices together and use as much as needed to rub over the shanks. The remainder may be kept for another recipe.

Roasting the Shanks and Garlic

Gas or Convection Oven:  thefoodlessprocessed uses a gas oven. The conversions from Fahrenheit to Celsius do not attempt to adjust for differences between baking in a gas or convection oven. I have no experience using a convection oven, and leave adjustments to the better judgement of you who do have.

• Preheat the oven to 450 F/230 C.
• Trim away the silverskin (the sticky, translucent tissue clinging to the outside of the meat) and any fat that comes off easily from the outside of the shanks.
• Rub the shanks with the spice mixture.
• Place them on the rack in the roasting pan. Pour some water over the bottom of the pan to prevent smoking, just as you would for duck.
• Cut the top from the head of garlic so that the cloves are all exposed. Place the garlic on a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to enclose it and pour a teaspoon of olive oil down over the cloves. Grind some black pepper over them. Seal the head in the foil and place it on the rack alongside the shanks to roast.
• Roast the shanks and garlic in the uncovered roasting pan for 30 minutes.

Braising the Shanks

• Transfer the lamb to the braising pot and set the foil-wrapped garlic aside until it is time to finish the sauce.
• Deglaze the roasting pan with a little Port, scraping up cooked bits. Pour the deglazing liquid over the shanks.
• Add the 2 cups of Port and enough vegetable stock to come halfway up the sides of the shanks.
• Place the pot on the flame tamer and braise the shanks over the lowest heat, covered, until they are tender and beginning to come away from the bone. An estimated time is 1 and 1/2 hours. After the first hour of braising, turn the shanks.

Finishing the Sauce and Serving

• Remove the shanks from the braising liquid. Wrap them in foil and set them aside.
• Pour the braising liquid into a large measuring cup (or any container in which it will cool rapidly). There should be around 2 to 3 cups (470–710 ml). Add some more Port or stock if there is less than 2 cups so that the shanks have plenty of sauce.
• Place the liquid in the refrigerator. Skim off the fat that congeals on the surface and return the liquid to the braising pot.
• Bring it to a simmer over the flame tamer and whisk in the beurre manié. As soon as the sauce begins to form and thicken, turn off the heat.
• Add the shanks to the sauce and sprinkle over them roughly 2 teaspoons of coarsely ground black pepper. Slip the garlic cloves out of their skins into the sauce.
• Reheat the shanks and sauce gently over the flame tamer and serve.

Complimentary Combinations

Souris d’agneau braisée, l’ail façon confit ~ Braised lamb shanks with confit-style garlic

Egg Noodles