Lamb Shank with Wine Jus, Gremolata and White Bean Puree

When Ed and I are in Denver, usually a couple of times a year, we tend to eat at 240 Union .  While we generally have a good meal at a reasonable price, occasionally something is really good. Several years ago it was a mushroom salad which I tried to capture in Mushroom - Arugula Salad. Unfortunately this item has been missing from the menu on all subsequently visits.  Most recently, Ed and I both found  "Colorado Lamb Shank –wood oven braised, Chianti jus, gremolata" to be particularly good, good enough for me to try to recreate this dish at home.  What the menu description does not mention is that the lamb shank is served with pureed white beans and sauteed beet greens, vegetables which well compliment the meat and make for a delicious meal. When I made this recently, however, I did not have a source of beet greens and while I could have done spinach I decided on a green salad.  Anticipating this as a guest meal and wanting to focus on guests rather than my stove, I determined that this meal can be made ahead almost to finish (see next to last photo), leaving time for a shower, a change of clothes and a glass of wine with guests before a quick exit to the kitchen to do the final assembly. Gremolata can be made way ahead. Wine can be reduced  to 1/4, then later warmed, removed from heat and  butter added at the last minute. Bean puree can also be made ahead and microwaved to warm before serving, and lamb shanks can be kept simmering until ready to serve.  

Serves 2, scale accordingly.

On a gas grill sear until browned on all sides

2 lamb shanks

(A gas grill is a quick and clean way to brown the shanks, but this is not worth building a charcoal fire. Searing can also be done on a stove top or in the oven; see Lamb Shanks with Fig Sauce)

In a large pot saute:

1 T olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

When garlic is soft, add browned lamb to the pot, then

1/2 c red wine

When wine has slightly evaporated add

Water to almost cover lamb
IF serving with white bean puree, add  2-3 whole unpeeled garlic cloves to pot.

Cover and turn the heat to low.  Cook for at least an hour and thirty minutes, turning the shanks every half hour and  adding more water if liquids run low, until the meat is very tender - nearly falling off the bone.  Avoiding or spooning away the accumulated fat, remove lamb from liquid and place on a platter to drain/dry off any excess cooking liquid.

WHILE LAMB IS COOKING MAKE GREMOLATA, WHITE BEAN PUREE, WINE JUS

GREMOLATA

Combine:

1/4 c finely chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 t lemon zest, finely chopped
1 sprig of mint, finely chopped (optional)

WHITE BEAN PUREE

In a medium sauce pan heat:

1 T olive oil

2 cloves garlic, cooked in lamb broth, removed from skin

Add the following and simmer until liquid is reduced by approximately half, about 5 minutes:

1 15 oz can cannellini beans, drained but not dry
3/8 c chicken stock
1 T lemon juice

Put bean mixture in a food processor or, my choice, use an immersion blender, and blend until smooth. Add more chicken stock if necessary to achieve a smooth consistency. If this puree is made well before lamb is ready to be served, it should be warmed in the microwave before serving.

WINE SAUCE

Boil in small saucepan, until reduced to 1/4 c, about 10 - 15 minutes

1 c red wine

Remove from heat and add

1 T cold cut-up butter
Swirl pan until butter is melted and sauce is thickened

WHILE LAMB IS DRAINING ON PLATTER SAUTE THE BEET GREENS

ASSEMBLE DISH

Divide the warm bean mixture, the sauteed greens and the lamb shanks between 2 plates or large pasta/soup bowls.  Pour the wine sauce over each of the two lamb shanks. Put a generous tablespoon of gremolata on top of each lamb shank.  Serve immediately.


Reviewed 5/29/2017

Lamb Shanks with Fig Sauce

When travelling in Spain recently Ed or I occasionally ordered leg of lamb and soon discovered this usually meant lamb shanks - a favorite of my Mom but something I seldom, if ever, cook.  Long ago, my Mom gave me her recipes for "Lamb Shanks Tra La" and  "Mid Eastern Lamb Shanks" (see recipes at end) but I liked the elegance of the lamb shanks I had recently at La Finca de Susana in Madrid.  These lamb shanks were cooked simply (as I try to reconstruct below) and served with an accompanying fig sauce.  This makes sense to me as this is a rather fatty cut and much fat accumulates in the cooking water.  Removing the lamb completely from the cooking stock and serving the moist tasty meat separately seems to reduce the fat consumed.

Serves 3-4, depending on size of lamb shanks


Heat  in a deep skillet or casserole sized so that lamb shanks just cover the bottom:

1 T olive oil

Add:
3 lamb shanks (~1 pound each), and brown on both sides.

Alternatively broil lamb shanks (as in Mid Eastern Lamb Shanks) turning once or twice until browned on both sides.  No oil necessary, and much neater.  Even neater - sear on gas grill.

Remove the lamb and discard all of the fat.   In same pot sautee:

1 t olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

When garlic is soft, return lamb to pot and add

1/2 c wine (red or white)
Water to almost cover lamb
1 t thyme leaves

Cover and turn the heat to low.  Cook for at least an hour and thirty minutes, turning the shanks every half hour and  adding more water if liquids run low, until the meat is very tender - nearly falling off the bone.  Avoiding or spooning away the accumulated fat, remove lamb from liquid and place on a carving board. Garnish with with fresh rosemary and serve with:

CARAMELIZED ONION, FIG AND PEAR SAUCE

I sometimes make this sauce without the pear as shown in photo at left.

In a small skillet heat:

2 t olive oil

Add:

1 large Vidalia onion, peeled and very thinly sliced.

Sauté until onion is wilted and golden, then add:

1 t sugar

Stir until the onion is well coated then add:

1 pear thinly sliced, cook until pear is just barely soft then add:

2-3 T Stonewall Kitchen Vidalia Onion Fig Sauce 

(Stay tuned for a "from scratch" fig sauce recipe)

Cook just  until sauce is throughly heated.


MOOGIE'S LAMB SHANKS TRA LA


[I only recently discoverd that this recipe shares the same name as one from Peg Bracken's I Hate to Cook cookbook, so is probably verbatim or Mom's adaption of Ms. Braken's recipe]

To make sauce combine and heat until jelly melts:

1 large onion, sliced thin
1 c catsup
1 c water
1/2 c mint jelly
2 T lemon juice

Dredge:

4 lamb shanks in
flour, salt and pepper

Brown lamb [in in a deep skillet or casserole sized  that lamb shanks just cover the bottom in 2 T olive oil]. Pour off excess fat and pour sauce over the lamb.  Cover and simmer basting once in a while for 1 1/2 hours.

MOOGIE'S MID EASTERN LAMB SHANKS

[In a large dish with sides,] broil:

6 lamb shanks on each side 7 minutes

Simmer for a few minutes:

2 T butter
1 t dill
4 t parsley, minced
1/4 t cloves

then add and mix well:

1/4 c water
1/2 c chopped nuts
1 T orange peel [zest]
2 t brown sugar
1/2 c raisins
1/2 c white wine
1/2 c catsup

Pour mixture over shanks and bake at 350 degrees F for 2-3 hours until tender.

Reviewed 5/29/2017

Grilled Lamb Chops

Serves 4

This is from Wildwood Cooking from the Source in the Pacific Northwest by Cory Schreibera, a wonderful cookbook  Alexandra gave me for Christmas 2005. Although the recipe gives a grill option for chops, based on experience I strongly suggest you not use a grill for rack of lamb. While the grill works for chops, the combination of fat and bone on the rack of lamb makes it cook too fast and hot and results in a very charred exterior.

Make marinade (this does 4 5-6 oz chops, scale accordingly):

6 cloves garlic, minced
2 T coarsely chopped fresh sage
2 T olive oil
2 t coarsely ground black pepper

Rub the marinade on:

4 lamb chops, about 3” thick (5 oz) [or rack of lamb (3 ribs/person)]

Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours. Remove chops from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking to allow them to come to room temperature.

To cook chops: Preheat broiler or gas grill, or light a fire in a charcoal grill [if you do this though be sure most all fat has been trimmed off chops or fire will flare and burn chops; not advised for rack of lamb – see above]. Broil or grill chops for 4-5 minutes on each side for medium rare.

[To cook rack of lamb: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cook lamb for approximately 20 minutes for rare (135 degrees F), 25 minutes for medium rare (140 degrees F).  Use oven thermometer and if not automatic, check temperature 5 minutes before done time.  I set thermometer for 130 degrees F. When thermometer registers 130 degrees F, I remove lamb from oven and check temperature in several places. If lamb is consistently 130 degrees F or above, I let it sit 5 minutes then slice chops apart and serve. Lamb will be rare.]

For sauce and accompaniment see Pinot Noir-Braised Onions.











Reviewed 5/29/2017

Mustard Crusted Rack of Lamb

 This recipe goes back to when Ed and I lived in Cambridge and shopped for meat for special occasions at Savenor’s Market . The mustard coating  is based on a recipe (Gigot a la Moutarde/Herbal Mustard Coating for Roast Lamb) for a 6-pound leg of lamb in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961 edition) . The cooking instructions are mine and for rare lamb. Mastering the Art of French Cooking cooking instructions are for medium rare 145 to 150 degrees F (or for those who prefer well done 160 to 165 degrees F max). When we cooked this in Cambridge and got the lamb from Jack Savenor, Julia Child’s butcher, he recommended boneless leg of lamb or lamb tenderloin for this recipe. These days I cook rack of lamb when I can find it locally.  Adjust the amount of marinade (this is really a paste) for the amount of meat (I just do the top surface of the rack of lamb). Half of the recipe below is enough for one rack of lamb.

Marinade:

½ c [grainy] Dijon-type prepared mustard
2 T soy sauce
1 clove garlic, mashed [IF clove is quite large I use 1, otherwise 2]
1 t ground rosemary or thyme [I use about 2 t crushed rosemary]
¼ t powdered ginger [I use ½ t]
2 T olive oil [I use 1 T]

Remove almost all fat from the lamb. Paint the lamb with marinade and set it on the rack of a roasting pan. The meat will pick up more flavor if it is coated several hours before roasting. If you do this, refrigerate until the last hour before cooking.

To cook rack of lamb: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cook lamb for approximately 20 minutes (~15 minutes for convection) for rare (135 degrees F), 25 minutes for medium rare (140 degrees F). If oven thermometer is not automatic, check temperature 5 minutes before done time. I set thermometer for 130 degrees F. When thermometer registers 130 degrees F, I remove lamb from the oven and check the temperature in several places. If lamb is consistently 130 degrees F or above, I let it sit 5 minutes then slice chops apart and serve. Lamb will be rare.

If it is below 130 degrees F in one or more places, I return to oven until thermometer registers 135 degrees F. Again, I let the lamb sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

Slice and served topped with any extra marinade from the pan.
Top with fresh Rosemary sprigs.

Reviewed 10/1/2017

Revised 3/31/2023

Revised 12/16/2023

Revised 1/4/2025

Chicken/Lamb in Onion Yogurt Sauce

This is adapted from a NY Times Mark Bittman recipe which we were first served aboard Katrina in Pretty Marsh Harbor. The notes on how not to trash the yogurt, by adding cornstarch and avoiding high heat,  can be applied to many recipes.

Put 2 T butter [I use olive oil] in a large skillet on a medium high flame, add:

2 large onions, sliced
10 cloves minced garlic to taste
salt [I omit]

Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions become soft and brown, about 15 minutes. Stir in:

1T minced fresh ginger/1 t dry ginger
10 cardamom pods
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves

Cook about 1 minute, add:

4 whole chicken legs/8 2nd joints [I prefer boneless, skinless, 2nd joints]

In a bowl whisk:

2 c yogurt
2 T cornstarch

until smooth/ Stir into mixture and add 1/3 c water. Bring to gentle simmer over medium heat, then cover and turn to low. Cook at least 40 minutes until tender. Garnish with fresh

cilantro

Serve with basmati rice.

NB To keep yogurt from "breaking down" whisk with cornstarch before adding to pot and AVOID HIGH HEAT after adding yogurt.

VARIATION #1

Instead of chicken, use

1 1/2# lamb cut into 1-1 1/2" chunks (trim off all fat)

OMIT adding 1/3c of water with yogurt mixture.

Reviewed 5/14/17