Recipe: Lamb Shanks with Red Wine and Carrots (crock pot)

LAMB SHANKS WITH RED WINE AND CARROTS

"This is a hearty, French-inspired preparation, stocked with plenty of vegetables. You can even make it ahead, debone the meat, stir it back into the stew, and save it in the freezer as a terrific stew for some future evening."

FOR SIZE: 2 TO 3 1/2 QUART:
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
2 lamb shanks, about 12 ounces each
1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry red wine, such as Shiraz, Syrah, or light Pinor Noir
2 tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

FOR SIZE: 4 TO 5 1/2 QUART:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 lamb shanks, about 12 ounces each
1 cup (about 1 small) thinly sliced yellow onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dry red wine, such as Shiraz, Syrah, or light Pinor Noir
1/4 cup no-salt-added tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

FOR SIZE: 6 TO 8 QUART:
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 lamb shanks, about 12 ounces each
2 cups thinly sliced yellow onion
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups dry red wine, such as Shiraz, Syrah, or light Pinor Noir
1/2 cup no-salt-added tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then pour in the oil. Swirl to coat, then add the lamb shanks. Brown on all sides, about 12 minutes per shank. (Only brown as many as will fit comfortably in the skillet at a time, adding more as space opens up.) Transfer the browned shanks to the slow cooker.

Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the skillet, still set over the heat. Cook, stirring often, until the onion begins to turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to the slow cooker.

Pour the broth into the skillet, raise the heat to high, and stir until simmering, scraping up any browned bits in the skillet. Pour the contents of the skillet into the slow cooker.*

Whisk the wine, tomato paste, thyme, salt, and pepper in a bowl; pour over the contents of the slow cooker.

Cover crock pot and cook on low for 9 hours, or until the meat has pulled back from the bone and is fork-tender.

*To balance the more assertive tastes in this stew, get all the browning flavor in the skillet into the slow cooker - an extra step, sure, but clearly worth it.

SERVING SUGGESTION:

FOR A WAX BEAN SALAD:
Blanch wax beans in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and refresh under cool tap water. Toss them with diced tomatoes, sliced green olives, minced shallots, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and ground black pepper.

Makes 2-8 servings
Recipe copyright 2014, Used by permission to Recipelink.com from Clarkson Potter
Adapted from source: The Great American Slow Cooker Book by Bruce Weinsten and Mark Scarbrough