Name: Braised Lamb Shanks Recipe
Ingredients: 2 lamb shanks (if your pot at home is too small for them, ask your butcher to saw them in half); Salt and pepper; 4 Tbsp olive oil; 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced about 1/4″ thick; 2 large ribs celery, sliced about 1/4″ thick; 1 large onion, finely chopped; 5 cloves garlic, chopped; 1 bunch parsley divided; 8 good sprigs thyme, divided; 1 sprig fresh rosemary; 2 bay leaves; 2 Tbsp harissa (optional); 1 Tbsp tomato paste; 3/4 C beef stock; 1/2 C red wine (or use that much more beef stock); 1/2 C raisins (I recommend zante currants, which are very small); 2–3 Tbsp ground roasted pistachios (optional but very good!)

Description

Adapted loosely from a recipe at SimplyRecipes.com

Ingredients

Scale

2 lamb shanks (if your pot at home is too small for them, ask your butcher to saw them in half)
Salt and pepper
4 Tbsp olive oil
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced about 1/4” thick
2 large ribs celery, sliced about 1/4” thick
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bunch parsley divided
8 good sprigs thyme, divided
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
2 Tbsp harissa (optional)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
3/4 C beef stock
1/2 C red wine (or use that much more beef stock)
1/2 C raisins (I recommend zante currants, which are very small)
2–3 Tbsp ground roasted pistachios (optional but very good!)

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C)
Season the shanks generously with salt and pepper.
2 Tbsp oil in a large, heavy pot such as a Dutch oven.
When the oil is very hot, brown the lamb shanks on all sides until golden brown. Work one shank at a time, if necessary.
Remove the shanks from the pot and add the rest of the oil. Add the chopped garlic, carrots, celery, and onion to the pan and sauté over medium-high heat until the onion is translucent and the veggies are just coloring on the edges.

While the veggies cook, strip 6 of the thyme sprigs and finely chop together with half of the parsley. Set aside.
When the veggies are ready, scoot them to one side of the pan. In the blank space, add the tomato paste and harissa. Cook in the bare pan until somewhat thickened and toasty looking. Stir together with the veggies. Reduce the heat to medium.

Add the beef stock and wine to the pot. Add two whole sprigs of thyme, the sprig of rosemary, and the rest of the parsley as well as the bay leaves.
Nestle the shanks deep in the bed of aromatics. Scatter the raisins over the surface of the braise.
Insert a probe into the largest shank, right in the thickest part that will heat the slowest. Put the lid on the pot.

Put the pot in the oven and set the high-temp alarm on your ChefAlarm to 203°F (95°C). Cook.

When the alarm sounds after about 90 minutes, verify the temperature and tenderness of your shanks with your Thermapen ONE. The shanks should be just tender enough to shred from the bone with a fork. If you like them to be more tender so that they fall right off, give them another half hour.
If the shanks are all at 203°F (95°C) and tender, remove the pot from the oven. Remove the shanks from the pot and stir the ground pistachios into the sauce to thicken it. Also stir in the reserved parsley/thyme mixture, to taste.

Serve the shanks with the sauce and vegetables from the braise.