Braised Lamb Shanks

Dear Michelle,

I apologize for my long absence, and for what I'm afraid will be another till after the wedding. I never imagined that planning for ONE DAY could take up so much time and mental space as it does! That plus getting very busy at work has really killed my free time. Jeff's been cooking a lot more, and when I do cook I just don't have the energy to photograph it and write about it. That doesn't mean I'm not thinking about food; I have lots of day-dreams about what I will make in my free time, whenever it comes again.


So right now I must take you all the way back to Easter, and to my parent's house in Virginia, to experience the height of Spring there. The magnolias were magnificent when I was home, thick and fragile and smelling of honey. The daffodils lit up the vibrant green hillsides with dots of yellow and white, and the fruit trees all had masses of flowers on them. The sycamores in the front yard started leafing out while I was there, the leaves growing noticeably each day. Could there by any place as beautiful as Virginia in the Springtime? There probably is, but I won't believe it till I see it.



I find a terrific irony in eating lamb for Easter dinner, though that's not why my mother made it then. That is, neither particularly for the holiday nor the irony. She made it because she knows it's one of my favorites, and she often makes it when I go home to visit. I usually make it a point get down there in the Spring, and therefore find myself, almost every year, meditating on the tradition of eating lamb to, essentially, celebrate rebirth of diety and land. I know it's probably just because that's when the lambs are ready to eat, at least in this hemisphere. Anyway, it's delicious.


Braised meats are, to me, the easiest to make. They rarely turn out badly, unless you don't give them enough time, and you can usually safely sneak a small glass of wine from the cooking liquid if you've bought a halfway decent bottle. I try to estimate an extra hour into the cooking time, which can only make the meat more tender and succulent. This recipe takes the dish a little further than most when it calls for pressing the cooking vegetables through a food mill or strainer to create a thick, luscious sauce. Serve it on stewed white beans, pasta, or risotto, like my mother did this time. I'd bet it's pretty good with polenta, too.


Oh, and we had apple crisp for dessert. YUM. Thanks, Mom.



Lamb Shanks

Buy at least two lamb shanks, or four or even six if you have a big enough pot for them. Preheat oven to 250F. Add fat to a hot dutch oven, and brown the shanks on all sides, removing to a plate when finished. Below measurements are for 2-4 shanks, adjust as needed for more. Add 1 small onion with about a cup or so chopped carrot to the hot dutch oven, sauteing till softened. Stir in 1 large spoonful of tomato paste (like half of one of those small cans) and two cloves of chopped garlic and let cook for a few minutes, stirring as necessary. It's ok if it browns SLIGHTLY, as this will add further depth. Add half a bottle of wine and stir, scraping bottom. Stir in a good big pinch of herbes de Provence, or some thyme and/or rosemary. Add shanks as tightly packed as possible. Pour wine to almost cover. Put in oven, flipping shanks over every once in a while (maybe once an hour?) until very tender and falling off the bone, three hours or so. Pull out shanks, skim fat off surface of the liquid and strain, pushing as much as you can of the vegetable solids through a strainer. Return to dutch oven and boil till thickened. Pull meat off the bones and add to sauce to reheat.
Leftovers make great tacos!