Chef Tim Love of Lonesome Dove Bistro in Fort Worth, Texas, created this tempting recipe that adds a hearty bean side dish and light, fresh ricotta to the rich taste of braised lamb shanks.
Prep Time1 hrCook Time3 hrsTotal Time4 hrs
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups guajillo chile powder
1 ½ tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp freshly cracked pepper
6 American Lamb shanks
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped onions
1 ½ cups chopped carrots
1 ½ cups chopped celery
7 garlic cloves, peeled
1 ½ dry white wine
1 ½ veal or chicken stock
3 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 bay leaves
3 tbsp unsalted butter
Three Bean Ragout (recipe follows)
Ricotta Cheese (recipe follows)
THREE BEAN RAGOUT (yield: 6 cups)
3 cups uncooked (dried) white beans
3 cups uncooked (dried) black beans
3 cups uncooked (dried) Cannelinni beans
1 lb bacon, chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 ½ chicken stock
9 cloves garlic, sliced
3 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
RICOTTA CHEESE (yield: ¾ cup)
2 buttermilk
2 whole milk
1 tsp ancho chile powder
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
LAMB SHANKS
1Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Mix the flour, chile powder, salt, and pepper together in a shallow bowl. Roll the shanks in the flour mixture.
2In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. In batches, sear the shanks on all sides; remove from the pan. Repeat with remaining shanks, adding more oil as needed.
3Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and sauté until brown. Add the wine, stock, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
4Arrange the shanks in two 13x9x2-inch baking pans, placing 3 shanks in each pan. Divide the vegetable mixture between the 2 baking pans, pouring it over the shanks. Cover the pans with foil and braise in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, turning the shanks over halfway through. (The meat should be very tender but still on the bone.) Remove the shanks and keep warm.
5Remove the pans from the oven and strain the sauce. Pour the sauce into a large saucepan and reduce it by half on high heat. Add the butter and stir until melted.
6Serve the shanks with the Three-Bean Ragout, Fresh Ricotta, and a little pan sauce.
THREE BEAN RAGOUT
7Put all beans in a large pot and cover with cold water. Put a lid on and let the beans soak for 6 hours or overnight.
8Drain the beans and return them to the pot, adding the bacon, thyme, oregano, stock, garlic, and jalapeños. Cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to low. Cook for 2 hours until tender, adding water as necessary.
9Drain well. Season with salt and pepper.
RICOTTA CHEESE
10In a 2-quart saucepan, combine buttermilk, milk, chile powder, oregano, and salt. Cook over low heat. Do not stir.
11After 15 minutes, check the temperature with a candy thermometer. Continue to check the temperature every 2 minutes until it reaches 180ºF. When the temperature is achieved, strain the mixture through a fine strainer and place it in the refrigerator to cool.
12Use the ricotta as needed. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Recipe provided by the American Lamb Board
Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups guajillo chile powder
1 ½ tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp freshly cracked pepper
6 American Lamb shanks
6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped onions
1 ½ cups chopped carrots
1 ½ cups chopped celery
7 garlic cloves, peeled
1 ½ dry white wine
1 ½ veal or chicken stock
3 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
3 bay leaves
3 tbsp unsalted butter
Three Bean Ragout (recipe follows)
Ricotta Cheese (recipe follows)
THREE BEAN RAGOUT (yield: 6 cups)
3 cups uncooked (dried) white beans
3 cups uncooked (dried) black beans
3 cups uncooked (dried) Cannelinni beans
1 lb bacon, chopped
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1 ½ chicken stock
9 cloves garlic, sliced
3 jalapeños, seeded and chopped
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
RICOTTA CHEESE (yield: ¾ cup)
2 buttermilk
2 whole milk
1 tsp ancho chile powder
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
Directions
LAMB SHANKS
1Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Mix the flour, chile powder, salt, and pepper together in a shallow bowl. Roll the shanks in the flour mixture.
2In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. In batches, sear the shanks on all sides; remove from the pan. Repeat with remaining shanks, adding more oil as needed.
3Add the onions, carrots, celery, and garlic and sauté until brown. Add the wine, stock, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
4Arrange the shanks in two 13x9x2-inch baking pans, placing 3 shanks in each pan. Divide the vegetable mixture between the 2 baking pans, pouring it over the shanks. Cover the pans with foil and braise in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, turning the shanks over halfway through. (The meat should be very tender but still on the bone.) Remove the shanks and keep warm.
5Remove the pans from the oven and strain the sauce. Pour the sauce into a large saucepan and reduce it by half on high heat. Add the butter and stir until melted.
6Serve the shanks with the Three-Bean Ragout, Fresh Ricotta, and a little pan sauce.
THREE BEAN RAGOUT
7Put all beans in a large pot and cover with cold water. Put a lid on and let the beans soak for 6 hours or overnight.
8Drain the beans and return them to the pot, adding the bacon, thyme, oregano, stock, garlic, and jalapeños. Cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to low. Cook for 2 hours until tender, adding water as necessary.
9Drain well. Season with salt and pepper.
RICOTTA CHEESE
10In a 2-quart saucepan, combine buttermilk, milk, chile powder, oregano, and salt. Cook over low heat. Do not stir.
11After 15 minutes, check the temperature with a candy thermometer. Continue to check the temperature every 2 minutes until it reaches 180ºF. When the temperature is achieved, strain the mixture through a fine strainer and place it in the refrigerator to cool.
12Use the ricotta as needed. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Braised American Lamb Shank with Three Bean Ragout and Fresh Ricotta
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