BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH DRIED FRUIT

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH DRIED FRUIT image

Yield 4 people

Number Of Ingredients 22

Ingredients

4 lamb shanks (see Note)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon oil + oil as needed
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 cup medium-chopped celery
4 bay leaves
4 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup red wine
1/2 cup cider vinegar
4 cups beef broth
1 cup water
4 thyme sprigs
1/2 cup chopped dried plums
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped apricots
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
1 teaspoon allspice berries
4 Thai bird chiles, lightly crushed
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Steps:

Preheat oven to 325�. Trim excess fat from the shanks. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a little oil in a Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. Add the shanks and sear until nicely browned. Remove from the pan and set aside. Pour off fat in pan, but leave the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Return the pan to the heat and add 1 teaspoon oil. Add the onion, carrots, celery and bay leaves and sweat until the vegetables are limp, adding the garlic toward the end. Add the wine and vinegar and simmer until reduced by about half. Add the broth and water and return to a simmer. Return the shanks to the pan. Add the thyme, dried plums, raisins, apricots, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, allspice, chiles and cumin. (If you want to easily remove the loose spices at the end of cooking, place the peppercorns, allspice and chiles in a cheesecloth bag or tea infuser before adding them to the pot.) The liquid in the pot should come at least halfway up on the shanks. If not, add more water or stock. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven. Braise for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is fork tender, turning the shanks every hour or so and checking the liquid level. Add more liquid as needed. Remove from the oven. Discard the cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and spices if desired. Simmer uncovered on the stove top until the sauce reaches the consistency you like. Season to taste. It will take more salt to get the flavors balanced. Don't be surprised if you use another 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon. Note: For the best presentation, buy whole lamb shanks; for the richest flavor, have the butcher to crack or saw through the shank bones crosswise, so the braising extracts the maximum amount of flavor and gelatin.