Beer-Braised Lamb Shanks
Description
After a quick prep, Chef John takes these beer-braised lamb shanks to the next level by splitting the cook time over 2 days for supremely succulent results.
Ingredients
•
2 lamb shanks
•
1 teaspoon salt, divided, or to taste
•
freshly ground black pepper to taste
•
1 tablespoon olive oil
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1 onion, chopped
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2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
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1 large stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
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3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
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2 teaspoons tomato paste
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1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
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2 sprigs rosemary
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1 pinch cayenne pepper
Directions
1
Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper.
2
Heat olive oil in a deep-sided pan or pot over medium-high heat. Add lamb and cook, turning as needed, until browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and reduce heat to medium.
3
Place chopped onion, carrot, celery, and garlic in the pan. Season with a large pinch of salt. Cook and stir until vegetable juices start to come out, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and stir to coat, about 1 minute. Pour in beer and stir in rosemary. Raise heat to high and bring sauce mixture to a simmer.
4
Toss lamb shanks in with the sauce mixture. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until lamb is nearly fork-tender, flipping lamb after 1 hour, about 2 hours. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, at least 30 minutes. Refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.
5
Skim the fat off the top of the sauce, if desired. Cover and bring lamb to a simmer over low heat. Flip and continue simmering until meat is fork-tender and nearly falling off the bone, about 45 minutes. Place lamb shanks in a bowl to keep warm.
6
Bring sauce to a boil over high heat. Boil until reduced by half but not too thick, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Plate the lamb shanks and spoon sauce on top.