Braised Lamb Shanks with Mint Syrup

As Spring approaches, we all need to make it a priority to do as much cold-weather cooking as possible. That means soups, stews, chili and braised meat. Of course you can stew or braise year round, but the process screams Winter. During the Summer I want to grill and roast, but December through February are perfect for taking a few hours and revisiting the classics that came from your grandmother’s kitchen. Here, in braised lamb shanks, you have a relatively inexpensive piece of meat that, if cooked properly, can hang with its “top shelf” cousin—rack of lamb.

I think that most chefs will agree that it’s the less popular cuts of meat that tend to be the most rewarding to cook. In most cases, however, our patrons request loins, tenderloins and chops as opposed to the shanks and briskets of the world. A loin chop or filet takes absolutely no time to cook, just sear it and in most cases roast it to desired doneness. In the case of a shank however, time and attention couple to produce strong, full flavors that can never be accomplished with a simple steak. It just takes time and patience to unlock the flavor and tenderness from these beauties. Now, I don’t want to come off as someone who doesn’t appreciate a good steak. On the contrary, there is no better meal on a Summer night than grilled steaks with a garden salad and ranch dressing. That’s almost as American as apple pie as far as I’m concerned. It’s more that I respect anyone who can serve up a fork-tender shank. Grilled, roasted or pan-seared meats are on almost every menu, but how many contain lamb shanks, osso bucco or beef short ribs? That should tell you something.

What you need to get together:

For the shanks
Lamb Shanks 4 each
Onion ½, chopped
Carrot 1, chopped
Celery 1 rib, chopped
Garlic 3 cloves, crushed
Bay Leaf 1 each
Fresh Thyme 2 sprigs
Rosemary 2 stems
Beef Stock 2 quarts

For the mint syrup
Sugar 2 cups
Cider Vinegar 2 cups
Fresh Mint ½ cup of leaves

How to put it all together:

The shanks
1. Season shanks with kosher salt and black pepper. Preheat the oven to 375.
2 In a large braising pan (or you can use a sauté pan at this point), heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke.
3. Sear the shanks on all sides until there is an almost-uniform crust around each shank. Remove the shanks from the pan.
4. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and sauté until there is some color on the onions. Be sure not to burn the garlic at this point.
5. If you used a sauté pan, transfer the shanks to a deep baking dish (at least 4 inches deep). If you used a braising pan, add the shanks back to the pan (laying them on their side, not standing up) and then add the beef stock (you can use water if you do not have beef stock). Do not completely cover the shanks. You only want to cover them 2/3 of the way. At this point, you could add a cup or so of red wine, but it is not necessary.
6. Add the fresh herbs and bay leaf and transfer the braising pan/baking dish to the oven.
7. Braise the shanks for 45 minutes.
8. After 45 minutes, turn the shanks over and continue to braise for an additional 45 minutes. Check the amount of liquid in the pan, being sure to maintain the 2/3 coverage of the shanks.
9. After a total cooking time of 1 ½ hours, the meat should be pulling off of the bone. Check the tenderness with a fork. If the meat is not easily pulled off of the bone, let the shanks cook for and additional 20 minutes. If the meat is falling off of the bone, then you’re done.
10. Let the shanks rest for 10 minutes and serve. In the photo the shank is served with mashed sweet potatoes, roasted beets and sautéed beet greens.

The syrup
1. Add the sugar to a small sauce pan with ¼ cup cold water and 1 teaspoon of cider vinegar.
2. Heat the sugar mixture over high heat until the liquid has evaporated and the sugar begins to turn amber in color.
3. Once all of the sugar has caramelized, remove the pan from the heat and add the remaining vinegar.
4. Return the pan to medium heat and simmer until all of the sugar has dissolved into the syrup. Remove from heat and add mint leaves.
5. Brew the mint in the hot syrup for 10 minutes and strain.

A few final thoughts on this recipe:
OK, I have caught a lot of flack from purists who are upset over the fact that I have not reduced the cooking liquid and used it as a sauce for the shank. I think this is a valid criticism, but contend that sometimes lamb can be a bit strong and has a tendency to overpower the palate. Now, how do you know if you are going to catch an extra-gamey piece of lamb? You don’t. So I take the safe route and simply remove the variable from my equation. I have no problem if you would like to reduce the liquid and coat this beautiful shank with it—just be sure to taste the reduction and judge if your family or dinner guests will appreciate its perfume.

This syrup works beautifully with lamb chops as well as being a nice finishing touch to a whole-roasted leg of lamb. I also have used it with pan-seared duck breast (sometimes you use whatever sauce is handy at the time and it just works.) I have found that those who are diametrically opposed to mint jelly find this to be a nice alternative. I still keep a jar of the neon green stuff in the fridge just in case—and may sneak some onto my plate if no one is looking. I’m not that snobby when it comes to mint jelly.

Braised Lamb Shank with Mint Syrup 

Braised Lamb Shank with Mint Syrup  

"Really Big" Beef Stew 

"Really Big" Beef Stew 

“Really Big” Beef Stew

I love a good beef stew. I respect a good beef stew. I understand a good beef stew. Unfortunately, I don’t find too many good beef stews. I’m not sure why a good beef stew is harder to find that a mint Mickey Mantle rookie card, but I think that the problem lies with both the quality of the food and the cooking techniques applied to said food. While perhaps the most basic of cooking techniques, stewing a perfect pot of meat and vegetables requires a lot more time and consideration that the average home cook is willing to give. If you don’t have at least 4 hours to commit to this project, then don’t even get out the cutting board. If, on the other hand, you are able to sacrifice an afternoon or evening to journey to the pinnacle of Mt. Comfort Food, then please come along for the ride.
My philosophy for preparing a beef (or pork, or lamb, or. . .) stew is to make this a stew that any truck driver or Marine would find satisfying. The first requirement is large chunks of meat and a lot of them. Remember, this is a BEEF stew, beef should be the star of the show. If I want beef and vegetable soup, then I will open a can of beef and vegetable soup. I hope that I have made myself clear on this most-important issue. Next, I want to pair my beef with the highest-quality vegetables that I can find. I take this idea to a farmer’s-market level and really go all out with such veggies as Peruvian purple potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, white sweet potatoes or baby carrots and pearl onions (I know that most of us have not had pearl onions since our grandmothers were in charge of dinner, but revisit these little nuggets of joy). Beyond that, keep everything else simple. We’re not trying to invent a new stew here, we’re trying to make the most perfect stew possible; if we think outside of the box we’ll end up with disappointed families and friends never trusting us to make dinner or contribute to a pot luck ever again.
So, without further delay, let’s get started.

What you need to get together:

Beef Chuck 3 pounds
Pork Shoulder 1 ½ pounds
Beef Shanks 1 ½ pounds
Pear Onions 1 package (12 oz.)- peeled
Baby Carrots 1 ½ cups
Yukon Gold Potatoes 12 each- halved
French Green Beans (Hericot Vert) 32 each
Frozen Green Peas 1 cup
Worcestershire Sauce ¼ cup
Diced Tomatoes 1 can
Tomato Paste 1 TBSP
Bay Leaf 1 each
Fresh Thyme 2 sprigs

How to put it all together:
1. Cut the beef chuck and pork shoulder into large pieces (2 oz. each). You want each piece to be the equivalent of 2 bites.
2. Combine the cut beef and pork with the Worcestershire sauce and season liberally with salt and pepper. Let the meat rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour but you don’t need to go for more than 2.
3. Over a medium to medium high flame, heat vegetable oil in a large pot (the larger the better), and begin to sear the beef and pork pieces until they are very crusty on all sides. It will help if you pat the pieces dry with a paper towel before trying to sear them since they have been combined with the Worcestershire sauce. It will also help to remember to sear the meat in batches. You may need to do up to 4 or 5 batches depending on the size of your pot. You cannot overcrowd the pan or you will not get the sear that you are looking for.
4. After all of the meat has been seared and removed from the pan, the bottom of the pot should be nice and dark with browned bits of meat. At this point add a bit more oil and then add the pearl onions. This will achieve a deglazing step that essentially means we are trying to get all of the flavor off of the bottom of the pot and into our food. This is what Martha Stewart would call a good thing. Sauté the onions until they are colored, about 3 minutes, and then remove them from the pot.
5. At this point, add the beef shanks to the bottom of the pot and then top them with the seared beef and pork. Add enough water (or beef stock) to the pot (about 3 quarts) to cover the meat by at least 1 inch and raise the heat to medium high. Here is a point where you could add a cup or so of red wine, but it won’t really make that much of a difference to the final product.
6. When the stew comes to a boil, skim off any of the foam and fat that rises to the top and reduce the heat to medium.
7. Now, add the tomato paste, diced tomatoes and herbs to the pot. Here is where the waiting begins. Go watch a football game, read a book or clean the house. Do anything to get your mind off of the fact that it will be at least 2 hours before you do anything to this stew but stir it occasionally or skim off some grease from the top of the liquid. This is not for an impatient cook. Don’t try to rush this process. Raising the heat at this point would not help it cook faster. Trust me here. Resign yourself to a 2 hour wait. Also, make sure that the liquid is never moving faster than a healthy simmer. Keep the liquid at the level of the meat, adding some during the cooking process if you must.
8. After roughly 2 hours have past (during which time you have occasionally stirred the stew and skimmed off the pools of fat that have collected around the edge of the pot) it is time to see if the meat has achieved the level of tenderness that we are looking for. First, hunt down the shanks and see if they are hollow. If they are, then that is the first sign that we are close. If they are almost hollow, scrape out the marrow into the pot and consider yourself in the ballpark. If they are still full of the sweet marrow that will give our stew great flavor (and they shouldn’t be after 2 hours), then put them back into the pot and continue to wait about 30 minutes. Next, pull out a piece of the beef. Now you will do what any self-respecting chef worth his salt would do; taste the meat. If you could chew it with your gums, then we’re home. If there is a bit of toughness left, wait 30 minutes. If it is still shoe leather, then Houston, we have a problem and another hour of cooking.
9. Once the meat is completely tender, add in the halved potatoes and carrots. These vegetables will take about 20 minutes to cook at a healthy simmer and will not be completely falling apart when the stew is served. Firm, not over-cooked vegetables will enhance the tenderness of the meat and will be commented upon by everyone who has ever had soggy veggies in their stew (which is basically everyone on the planet).
10. Once the potatoes are tender and just cooked through, add in the frozen peas. Continue to cook for about 3 minutes and then remove the pot from the heat. The residual heat from the pot is more than enough to heat the frozen peas all of the way through and will also be enough to cook the green beans. These are the 2 vegetables that you need to make sure not to completely ruin with overcooking. In fact, you may want to reserve the green beans and add them to batches of the stew if you are not going to consume all of the stew once it is done.
11. The final step is to adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Let the stew rest for about 20-30 minutes before serving (don’t worry, it will still be hot). The stew is more than worthy to stand alone, but is best if served with corn bread (pictured) or crusty French bread. My personal taste leans toward Saltines, but I get that from my grandmother.

A few final thoughts about this recipe:
Ok, so you’re wondering about the pork. Well, ultimately I think that it adds a flavor that just can’t be accomplished with beef alone. If you are opposed to it, omit it from the recipe. Or, maybe you want to add lamb instead of the pork. Or, and this is a crazy idea, maybe you want to add some lamb to this recipe. Really, it doesn’t matter as long as you follow the rules of searing and simmering. I find that most beef-eaters don’t mind pork, but lamb may be a different story.
It’s important to remember to strain all of the foam and bad stuff off of the top of the stew before you add the herbs because if you add them before you “skim the scum” you may end up inadvertently removing the herbs caught up in the foam. Also, please do not boil the stew during the cooking process. If you boil the liquid, all of the fat that wants to accumulate at the top will be emulsified (mixed in) into the cooking liquid. What you will be left with is a greasy-tasting stew. So, please, for the sake of the children, just let the stew simmer.
Now, I have received criticism over using both canned tomatoes and frozen peas. Well, here’s my defense- it’s my recipe and I’ll do whatever I want. Seriously, good-quality canned tomatoes are consistently a great product and are available year-round. How many great tomatoes have you had in December? Also, today peas are frozen the same day that they are picked. Plus, it’s a pain in the rear to clean fresh peas. So, frozen it is.
Finally, I want you to just have fun with this stew and keep it simple. I think that you will find it truly satisfying to prepare a great pot of stew that everyone concedes is one of the best, if not the best, that they have ever had.