Braised Lamb Shanks with Bell Peppers and Harissa
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 6, 2019
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 (10- to 12-ounce) lamb shanks, trimmedSalt and pepper 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 onion, chopped fine4 bell peppers (red, orange, and/or yellow), stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces¼ cup harissa 2 tablespoons tomato paste 4 garlic clove, minced2½ cups chicken broth 2 bay leaves 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pat shanks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown shanks on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to bowl.
- Add onion, peppers, and ½ teaspoon salt to fat left in pot and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons harissa, tomato paste, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and bay leaves, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to simmer.
- Nestle shanks into pot and return to simmer. Cover, transfer pot to oven, and cook until lamb is tender and fork slips easily in and out of meat and peppers begin to break down, 2 to 2½ hours, turning shanks halfway through cooking. Transfer shanks to bowl, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest while finishing sauce.
- Strain braising liquid through fine-mesh strainer into fat separator; discard bay leaves and transfer solids to blender. Let braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then pour defatted liquid into blender with solids and process until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Transfer sauce to now-empty pot and stir in vinegar and remaining 1 tablespoon harissa. Return shanks and any accumulated juices to pot, bring to gentle simmer over medium heat, and cook, spooning sauce over shanks occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer shanks to serving platter, spoon 1 cup sauce over top, and sprinkle with mint. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
4 (10- to 12-ounce) lamb shanks, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
4 bell peppers (red, orange, and/or yellow), stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup harissa
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic clove, minced
2½ cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
Ingredients
4 (10- to 12-ounce) lamb shanks, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
4 bell peppers (red, orange, and/or yellow), stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup harissa
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic clove, minced
2½ cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
Ingredients
4 (10- to 12-ounce) lamb shanks, trimmed
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped fine
4 bell peppers (red, orange, and/or yellow), stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup harissa
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 garlic clove, minced
2½ cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint
Why This Recipe Works
Intensely flavorful lamb shanks are ideal for braising; long, slow, moist cooking breaks down the collagen-rich connective tissue and fats that add flavor and body to the braising liquid and produces fall-apart tender meat. We found that braising our shanks in the oven—and turning them once halfway through cooking—provided more even heat than braising on the stovetop, and browning the shanks over high heat before braising added complex, roasted flavors. What gives this dish its unique character is the combination of slow-cooked bell peppers and the Tunisian condiment harissa—a potent blend of ground chilis, garlic, and spices. Chicken broth served as a perfect mild medium in which to meld the rich flavors of the lamb, the sweetness of the peppers, and the aromas of the harissa. To keep our sauce clean and light, we made sure to trim our shanks of all visible fat before cooking, and we strained and defatted the cooking liquid after braising. To add richness and flavor to the sauce, we blended the braised bell peppers into the cooking liquid, and we finished the sauce with fresh mint.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Pat shanks dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown shanks on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes; transfer to bowl.
- Add onion, peppers, and ½ teaspoon salt to fat left in pot and cook over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 3 tablespoons harissa, tomato paste, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth and bay leaves, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to simmer.
- Nestle shanks into pot and return to simmer. Cover, transfer pot to oven, and cook until lamb is tender and fork slips easily in and out of meat and peppers begin to break down, 2 to 2½ hours, turning shanks halfway through cooking. Transfer shanks to bowl, tent loosely with aluminum foil, and let rest while finishing sauce.
- Strain braising liquid through fine-mesh strainer into fat separator; discard bay leaves and transfer solids to blender. Let braising liquid settle for 5 minutes, then pour defatted liquid into blender with solids and process until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Transfer sauce to now-empty pot and stir in vinegar and remaining 1 tablespoon harissa. Return shanks and any accumulated juices to pot, bring to gentle simmer over medium heat, and cook, spooning sauce over shanks occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer shanks to serving platter, spoon 1 cup sauce over top, and sprinkle with mint. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.
Gift This Recipe
Enjoyed this dish? Let others know by sharing it as a gift recipe.
Keep Exploring
My Rating
This is a members' feature.
0 Comments