Braised Lamb Shanks, Winter Vegetables and Wild Rice
American lamb from nearby Lampasas County, Texas is rather meatier and milder in flavor than its New Zealand counterpart. Because it only traveled 60 miles to get here (vs the 7,000 or so miles from the south-western Pacific), it is also a whole lot fresher. Hours of braising render the shanks tender and succulent, with that familiar lip-smacking gelatinous goodness.
Season shanks with S&P and brown well on all sides in clarified butter or oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat.
Deglaze the pan with wine (I used an inexpensive white) and loosen all the brown bits with the edge of a wooden spoon. Add seasonal vegetables such as celery, carrots, onions and turnips.
Crush tomatoes by hand and add to the pot with a tied bundle of fresh herbs. Season with fresh cracked black pepper and add enough stock (I used half beef and half chicken) to cover the shanks. Cover and place in a 375 degree oven until fork-tender, about 2 1/2 hours, adding uncooked wild rice at about the half way point.
To serve, toss the expended herb bundle and use a slotted spoon to place the rice and vegetables on a plate; place shank over the top and garnish with herbs and slivers of roasted paprika peppers.
No leftovers tonight!
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