It’s the end of March and as the saying goes: it roars in like a lion and rolls out like a lamb. What better way to celebrate than with an easy family-style dinner? I have been making this meal for years, like maybe 15 years now? It’s probably the first real braise I ever did. It’s simple and, if you like game meat, very delicious. I’ve even served this to not-so-big game eaters and they’ve enjoyed it. This is the first time I served it with polenta - I’ve typically served it with mashed potatoes. It was fantastic and even the girls didn’t mind me swapping in my parmesan polenta for mashed potatoes. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.
Italian-style Braised Lamb Shanks with Parmesan Polenta
4 lamb shanks
Onion, diced
Fennel bulb, cored and diced
2 carrots, sliced ½ inch thick
12 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
Bottle of red table-style wine
28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
1 cup beef stock
1 cup chicken stock
2 bay leaves
3 branches of rosemary
2 sprigs of thyme
Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a large dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, liberally season the lamb shanks with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Sear the shanks until well-browned on both sides, about 8-10 minutes, then remove from the pot and set aside.
Lower the heat to medium, adding in the chopped vegetables and garlic. Season with salt and saute until beginning to soften.
Add in the can of tomatoes and sauce, the wine, and both stocks and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, using a butcher string, tie together the herbs and bay leaves. Drop into the pot along with the shanks.
Once the mixture boils, stir, cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 2 hours, stirring halfway through and rotating the meat.
Remove the cover and increase the heat to medium and continue to cook for 30 minutes.
Transfer the shanks to a platter. Cover and place in the oven to keep them warm. Continue to reduce the sauce for another 30 minutes, until thickened .
At this point, make the polenta. When it is prepared to your liking, serve everything at once.
Cheesy Polenta
3 cups whole milk
1 cup polenta
½ stick of butter
1.5 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Combine the milk and 1 cup of water in a pot and bring to a boil, reducing to medium. Then, whisk in the polenta and bring back to a simmer.
Cover, reduce the heat to low and whisk every 10 minutes to ensure proper texture.
After 30 minutes, and a final whisking, determine if it needs any more tightening up or if you’re satisfied with the consistency. Once happy with the polenta, add in the butter and cheese and whisk to combine off the heat. ______________________________ Copyright 2023, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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