We Love Us Some Lamby Lamb Shanks

You know you want it.

Remember Food God Mark Bittman's shanks article? Sinful meat on bone lambiness. Had some shanks. Time to cook. Smelled a little like pure unadulterated pleasure on a plate.

Colonel Mustard had never had this dish before, but loves lamb almost as much as La Torpille Rose does. Bah, ram ewe, to your flock be true!

By the way, The Colonel once rented a flock of sheep for his land. No, not the hair band of the 80s. An actual grazing flock. Along with a Guard Llama. Seems Llamas just do a better job of guarding sheep than dogs and require less care and attention. And have really bad attitudes. More on that...

Anywho, he explains that sheep are dumber than dirt. Actually, this may be an insult to dirt as he tells it. He watched with fascination one day as one banged its head into a fence, backed up and repeated. More than a few times. I have no trouble eating dumb animals. Sheep and chickens top the list.

Eat with some crusty bread. Meticulously pick out each and every bit of bone that has marrow in it. Inhale deeply. Dig it out. Look at its glossy nirvana-ish fattiness for a respectful minute or two. Spread on bread or just eat over the kitchen sink like a pregnant Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby scarfing down that raw liver. Or spread it on your lover's....well you get the idea. Marrow spoon optional.

Mangia!

http://chimangiabenevivechronicles.blogspot.com/2013/06/its-all-about-shanks.html

Slow Cooker Lamb Shanks with Soft Leek Polenta and Gremolata

 Lamb Shanks

1 yellow onion, diced

3 celery stalks, cut into 3/4” pieces

2 carrots, peeled and cut into ¾” pieces

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 cup chicken stock

28 oz. can tomatoes (I use San Marzano, if you get whole instead of crushed, enjoy the sensation of crushing them between your pristinely clean fingers as you add them)

2 Tbs. tomato paste

2 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary (You want this finely chopped. Rosemary can be a bit like biting into a pine branch. Remember Euell Gibbons???)

1 bay leaf

3 lamb shanks, these should come pre-split by the producer between the larger meaty top portion and the lower ankle portion. Separate the two pieces on each shank. You may have to cut through some connective tissue.

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 Tbs. olive oil

Directions:

Put the onion, celery, carrots, garlic, stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, rosemary and bay leaf in a slow cooker and stir to combine.

Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil until nearly smoking. Add the shanks and brown on all sides, AGGRESSIVELY BROWN, about 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to the slow cooker along with the pan juices deglazed with a bit of wine.

Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours. Transfer the lamb shanks and as many carrot and celery pieces as you can to a large serving dish.

Remove the bay leaf from the cooking liquid. Transfer the cooking liquid to a sauce pan and bring to boil, and reduce to about half the volume, about 10 to 12 minutes. Give it a little mash with a potato masher or blend with a hand blender to break down any remaining onion, carrot and celery pieces. Pour some of the sauce over the shanks and pass the rest alongside.

Gremolata

2 lemons, zest removed, reserve lemons for another use, like Decaf Earl Grey tea in the AM

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (Parsley Snob Alert: have to go Italian. Can't do curly)

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Sprinkle over lamb 

Soft Polenta with Leeks, Garlic and Pecorino Romano

3 tablespoons butter

3 large leeks (white and pale green parts only), thinly sliced

2 1/4 cups (or more) water

2 cups canned chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 cup polenta (If you all ain’t high-falutin’ city folk, go with regular yellow cornmeal, 1 cup, and cook leek-cornmeal mixture for about 15 minutes rather than 35 minutes.

1/3 cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add leeks; stir to coat. Cover and cook until leeks soften, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add 2 1/4 cups water, broth and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Gradually whisk in polenta. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until mixture is thick and creamy, stirring often and thinning with more water if necessary, about 35 minutes.

Remove pan from heat. Discard bay leaf. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter and cheese. Season polenta to taste with salt and pepper. Divide polenta among plates. Top with lamb.