Braised Lamb Shanks with Ras el Hanout
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Time
3¾ hours, plus 4 hours soaking
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
Ras el Hanout
½ teaspoon anise seeds 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 8 allspice berries 8 cardamom pods 15 black peppercorns 1 cinnamon stick (½ inch length)1 teaspoon coriander seeds ½ teaspoon cumin seeds ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes ⅛ teaspoon mace 1 tablespoon ground ginger 1 teaspoon ground nutmegLamb Shanks and Braising Liquid
6 lamb shanks, ¾ to 1 pound each, trimmed of excess fat and fell (thin, white papery covering), see illustrationTable salt 1 tablespoon canola oil 2 medium onions, sliced thick3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces2 medium ribs celery, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces4 medium cloves garlic, minced2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 ancho chiles or 2 to 3 fresh jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced2 cups dry red wine 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth ground black pepperBefore You Begin
If you're using smaller shanks than the ones called for in this recipe, reduce the braising time from 1 1/2 hours to 1 hour. Serve, if you like, with steamed couscous seasoned with one or more of the following: sautéed onion, lemon zest, parsley, mint, toasted almonds, or some of the leftover ras el hanout.
Instructions
- In a spice grinder, combine all ingredients; grind to a fine powder. Transfer to a small bowl, (you will need 2 tablespoons for this recipe; reserve the remainder to flavor the couscous or for other purposes).
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle shanks with salt. Heat oil in a large, nonreactive sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add shanks to pan in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding. Sauté until browned on all sides, 5-7 minutes. Using tongs, transfer shanks to a plate as they brown.
- Drain all but 2 tablespoons fat from the sauté pan; add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, tomato paste, a light sprinkling of salt, 2 tablespoons ras el hanout and the chiles; sauté to soften vegetables slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Add red wine, then chicken stock to the skillet, stirring with a wooden spoons to loosen browned bits from skillet bottom. Bring liquid to simmer; transfer vegetables and liquid into a deep braising pan, large enough to hold the shanks in a single layer. Add shanks and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover pan (with foil if pan has no lid) and transfer it to the oven; braise shanks for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and continue braising until shank tops are browned, about 30 minutes. Turn shanks and continue braising until remaining side has browned and shanks are fall-off-the-bone tender.
- Remove pan from oven; let shanks rest for at least 15 minutes. Carefully transfer shanks with tongs to each of 6 plates. Arrange a portion of vegetables around each shank. Skim excess fat from braising liquid and adjust seasoning. Spoon a portion of braising liquid over each shank and serve.
for the ras el hanout
for the shanks
Time
3¾ hours, plus 4 hours soakingYield
Serves 6Ingredients
Ras el Hanout
½ teaspoon anise seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
8 allspice berries
8 cardamom pods
15 black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick (½ inch length)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
⅛ teaspoon mace
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Lamb Shanks and Braising Liquid
6 lamb shanks, ¾ to 1 pound each, trimmed of excess fat and fell (thin, white papery covering), see illustration
Table salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 medium onions, sliced thick
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
2 medium ribs celery, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 ancho chiles or 2 to 3 fresh jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced
2 cups dry red wine
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
ground black pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Ras el Hanout
½ teaspoon anise seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
8 allspice berries
8 cardamom pods
15 black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick (½ inch length)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
⅛ teaspoon mace
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Lamb Shanks and Braising Liquid
6 lamb shanks, ¾ to 1 pound each, trimmed of excess fat and fell (thin, white papery covering), see illustration
Table salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 medium onions, sliced thick
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
2 medium ribs celery, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 ancho chiles or 2 to 3 fresh jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced
2 cups dry red wine
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
ground black pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Ras el Hanout
½ teaspoon anise seeds
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
8 allspice berries
8 cardamom pods
15 black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick (½ inch length)
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
⅛ teaspoon mace
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Lamb Shanks and Braising Liquid
6 lamb shanks, ¾ to 1 pound each, trimmed of excess fat and fell (thin, white papery covering), see illustration
Table salt
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 medium onions, sliced thick
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
2 medium ribs celery, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
4 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 ancho chiles or 2 to 3 fresh jalapeño peppers, stemmed, seeded, and minced
2 cups dry red wine
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
ground black pepper
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For our lamb shanks recipe, we found that we preferred to braise them in the oven rather than on the stovetop, as the oven provided more even heat. Browning the shanks over high heat in a skillet first added a great deal of flavor to the dish. For our lamb shanks recipe we braised the shanks in chicken stock (which complemented, rather than overpowered, the lamb, as beef or veal stock might have), red wine, and herbs.
Before You Begin
If you're using smaller shanks than the ones called for in this recipe, reduce the braising time from 1 1/2 hours to 1 hour. Serve, if you like, with steamed couscous seasoned with one or more of the following: sautéed onion, lemon zest, parsley, mint, toasted almonds, or some of the leftover ras el hanout.
Instructions
- In a spice grinder, combine all ingredients; grind to a fine powder. Transfer to a small bowl, (you will need 2 tablespoons for this recipe; reserve the remainder to flavor the couscous or for other purposes).
- Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle shanks with salt. Heat oil in a large, nonreactive sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add shanks to pan in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding. Sauté until browned on all sides, 5-7 minutes. Using tongs, transfer shanks to a plate as they brown.
- Drain all but 2 tablespoons fat from the sauté pan; add onions, carrots, celery, garlic, tomato paste, a light sprinkling of salt, 2 tablespoons ras el hanout and the chiles; sauté to soften vegetables slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Add red wine, then chicken stock to the skillet, stirring with a wooden spoons to loosen browned bits from skillet bottom. Bring liquid to simmer; transfer vegetables and liquid into a deep braising pan, large enough to hold the shanks in a single layer. Add shanks and season with salt and pepper.
- Cover pan (with foil if pan has no lid) and transfer it to the oven; braise shanks for 1 1/2 hours. Uncover and continue braising until shank tops are browned, about 30 minutes. Turn shanks and continue braising until remaining side has browned and shanks are fall-off-the-bone tender.
- Remove pan from oven; let shanks rest for at least 15 minutes. Carefully transfer shanks with tongs to each of 6 plates. Arrange a portion of vegetables around each shank. Skim excess fat from braising liquid and adjust seasoning. Spoon a portion of braising liquid over each shank and serve.
for the ras el hanout
for the shanks
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