You know how when you cook something all day and then when it’s finally ready you don’t take the time to get a good picture? Yeah. That’s what happened here. This also happens to be the smallest of the four lamb shanks we had. Bad picture taking, bad.
In any event, I still wanted to share the recipe, despite the less than desirable way that this photo depicts this meal, because the taste was great and that’s what really counts.
I bought the lamb shanks from the farmer’s market and promptly contacted my dad for a proper recipe. He sent me one from Emeril and it did not disappoint. Greg also made carrots braised in beer and carrot juice, a recipe he tweaked from this one. He added some of his own touches and threw in some broccoli at the end for added veggie power.
To the shanks!
Here they are. There are actually four of them pictured here and they have been sprinkled with cajun seasoning. Emeril calls for “creole seasoning” but I don’t have that in my spice drawer. What I did have though was “cajun” and so we went with that.
I got the dutch oven nice and hot and added some olive oil. When the olive oil was sufficiently hot, I added the shanks to get a nice brown sear on all sides.
Next, I added chopped carrots, onions, and celery to the mix.
Hmmm… what’s missing from this picture? Yeah, the shanks! Guess I didn’t read the recipe well (I looked at a few recipes that day and must have gotten them mixed up) as it says to leave the shanks in when you add the carrots, onions, and celery. Woops.
Next, I added a diced tomato, garlic, wine, stock, thyme and some bay leaves.
Gave it a good stir and look who’s back…. the shanks!
After a frenzied few minutes, it was then time to put the lid on and turn the burner down to low for a long slow simmer.
The shanks braised for nearly two hours.
This is pretty much what they looked like after that time.
The broth or braising liquid was so flavorful. it never did reach a “syrup” like consistency, but it was so good that I considered saving it for something, though I don’t know what. It was amazing though….
To continue with the braising theme, Greg prepped the veggies.
It just would not be a Greg-made dish if onions, garlic and jalapenos were not part of the mix!
The carrots braised in beer and carrot juice and he added a little butter near the end of cooking to make the sauce thicker. The broccoli was a last minute addition.
Despite the fact that the shank looks like a lamb lollipop it was super good! I served it with a small side cup of the braising liquid to dip so each bite had the full effect. The meat was fall off the bone tender and it tasted so fresh and not gamey at all. I am dying to make that mint orzo that Emeril suggests to accompany this with one day. Not only would the flavor and texture be a great match, but it could soak up some of that broth, mmm.
Overall, this recipe was pretty easy to make and once you get it going you can walk away and do other things… so not too labor intensive.
One of my favorite restaurants in the whole wide world used to be California Pizza Kitchen. I just loved it- I always, always got the spinach and artichoke dip appetizer and the thai chicken pizza (on honey whole wheat crust!). When I find something I like at a restaurant, I am notorious for ordering it every single time I go back and this was no exception. As I have matured and my foodie-ness has grown in epic proportions, CPK just doesn’t have the same appeal it once did. That’s ok, it happens. However, every now and then I still get a taste for this uniquely delicious pizza and being the self-proclaimed foodies that we are, I suggested we try to make it ourselves. It turned out great and I encourage you to shake things up sometime and give this recipe a try.
Starving Kitten 