Easter Recipes: Braised Lamb Shanks with White Beans

As Easter Sunday approaches and families scramble to round out dinner menus, Patch will share recipes from local chefs.

Today, Chef Matt Finarelli is sharing his recipe for Bordeaux-Braised Lamb Shanks with White Beans. The dish serves up to four people.

Finarelli has been a chef since 2006, and since then, he has authored a cookbook, “Beyond the Red Sauce.” He operates his own personal chef business with clients in Northern Virginia and Washington, DC, and also teaches cooking classes.

Finarelli said this is the best lamb shank recipe he’s had to date.

Here’s the recipe inspired by Finarelli’s friend and business partner Chef Bernard.

Ingredients for Lamb Shanks

4 ea                  lamb shanks (about 1 pound each)

2 Tbsp              olive oil

1 ea                  medium onion – chopped coarsely

1 ea                  medium carrot – chopped coarsely

1 ea                  celery stalk– chopped coarsely

6 cloves            garlic – minced

3½ cups           Bordeaux or other full-bodied red wine

4 cups              chicken broth

1 Tbsp              tomato paste

2 ea                 fresh thyme sprigs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp            unsalted butter

Ingredients for Gremolata

3 Tbsp            fresh parsley leaves – chopped

1 tsp              freshly grated lemon zest (about 1 lemon)

3 cloves          garlic – minced

Ingredients for Beans

2 Tbsp            extra-virgin olive oil

1 ea                small onion – chopped fine

1 ea                carrot – chopped fine

1 ea                celery rib – chopped fine

3 cloves           garlic – minced

2, 15oz cans         white beans (cannellini, Great Northern or navy)

1¾ cups          chicken broth

3 Tbsp             unsalted butter

3 ea                 bay leaves

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Method
Make lamb shanks

-       Pat lamb shanks dry and season with salt and pepper.

-       In an 8-quart heavy flameproof casserole, heat oil over moderately high heat until hot, but not smoking, and brown lamb shanks well in batches, transferring to a plate as browned.

-       Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic and sauté until onion is softened.

-       Add wine and simmer mixture, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to about 3 cups. Return lamb shanks to casserole and stir in broth, tomato paste, and thyme.

-       Bring liquid to a boil and simmer, covered, stirring and turning lamb shanks occasionally until lamb shanks are tender – about 2 hours depending on the size of the shanks.

Make the gremolata while lamb is cooking

- In a small bowl stir together gremolata ingredients.

Make beans while lamb is cooking

-       In a saucepan heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and cook onions, carrots, celery, and garlic, stirring, 2 or 3 minutes, or until softened.

-       Add beans, broth, butter, and bay leaves and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally and adding water to keep beans moist and to reach a creamy consistency, about 20 minutes.

-       Discard bay leaves and add half of gremolata and salt and pepper to taste.

Finish Lamb Shanks

-       Transfer lamb shanks to a plate and keep warm, covered with foil.

-       Strain braising liquid through a sieve into a saucepan, discarding solids.

-       Boil sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly.

-       Strain sauce through sieve into a bowl. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir in remaining 2 Tbsp butter.  Serve lamb shanks in large bowls on top of beans, topped with reduced sauce and sprinkled with remaining gremolata.