While I could eat mounds of ratatouille just by itself, I decided that this special harvest from the family's garden warranted an all-out feast. And since I had lamentably neglected my kitchen for a few weeks between work and wrist surgery, I was jonesin' to spend an entire evening in an apron-wearing, sauce-reducing, wine-sipping euphoria!!
Lamb has always been one of my favorite proteins - with a few tricks it's easy to cook well, and it's a departure from the everyday trifecta of beef/chicken/pork monotony. The only problem with lamb is that most cuts can be *ridiculously* expensive, even from places like Costco (which are cheaper...but also not that great!) This is why the lamb shank is a thing of beauty - it's a cinch to cook, and you can usually find it for about $4-5/lb....which is cheaper than boneless/skinless chicken breasts in alot of places! TIP: Always ask your butcher the days that they order lamb to ensure you're getting the freshest cuts.
In order to bring out the full flavor of the lamb shank, it's necessary to brown it before cooking in the oven. (I highly recommend long sleeves for this part, because it's gonna spit sizzly-hot lamb goo at you!) Make sure you get a nice golden brown crust on all 4 sides - this ensures that the thin outer layer of fat & fell (which is a thin, paper-like covering on most shank-style cuts) will break down nicely during cooking.
Transfer browned shanks to a deep roasting/braising pan (a good 4" deep should do the trick!) and add in the veggies, wine & herbs. Be sure to use a good red...Chile produces a fantastic red called Carménère, which is part of the Cab family of grapes. It has nice, soft tannins and ranges from plummy to curranty. My two favorites that are widely available are Montemar Andes and Root 1.
There's one secret to ensuring the cooking liquid is extremely flavorful: Before adding the wine, pour it into a large saucepan, add the fresh herbs, and simmer for 10min. This will ensure that the flavor of the herbs is integrated with the braising liquid, rather than two separate flavors.
My biggest challenge with cooking lamb shanks is not being able to dive in the second they come out of the oven, because seriously, the entire house smells ridiculously delish! But to get the perfect dish, there's still alot of work to do. If you want some silky-smooth lamb gravy (of *course* you do!) you'll need to remove the shanks to a plate & keep them warm, and transfer the veggies to a serving dish. Strain the remaining braising liquid into a saucepan, add a pat of butter and some cornstarch to thicken, and let it simmer for about 5-10min. If there was a way to pump this sauce straight into my veins, I think I'd do it.
I served this with couscous cooked in half beef stock and half pomegranate juice and a nice, generous helping of ratatouille. Voila!
I was blessed to share the evening with one of my favorite people in the whole wide world: my Mama!! She has been my "culinary guinea pig" for some time now, and despite the fact I utterly lack her magical ability to have all of the dishes ready at the same time and we seem to eat at about 10pm, we always have a blast :) We paired the meal with a 2006 Domaine Chandon Les Collines Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir...and lots of laughter!!
I hope when you enjoy this meal that you have someone as wonderful as I did to share it with!
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(Addendum: I can't believe I forgot! One of the best things about cooking lamb is the leftovers...the next day, I seared some fresh apricots in cloves and agave nectar, grabbed a nice crusty roll, found some peppery arugula, and made a killer lamb sandwich. C'est magnifique!!)
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