BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH VEGETABLES AND ORZO

SERVES 4

I love lamb shanks and am always thinking of new ways to prepare them. Of course, they must be slow cooked because of the cut. I love this and it really is simple once everything is chopped and ready to go. No, it's not a ‘5 ingredients or less' recipe, but don't let that scare you. I am listing the ingredients for the orzo separately, but it all gets added to the lamb shanks and vegetables before cooking.

INGREDIENTS

For the Shanks

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 lamb shanks

Salt and pepper to taste

3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 1 cup)

1 medium celery stalk, cut same as carrots (about 1/2 cup)

1 large onion, coarsely chopped (about 2 cups)

1 small green pepper, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)

4 large garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup dry red wine

1 cup low-salt chicken broth

1 can (14.5 ounces) whole tomatoes, crushed with fingers, with juices

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 tablespoon dried marjoram leaves

2 teaspoons dried rosemary

1 tablespoon dried parsley

Juice of 1/2 lemon

For the Orzo

2 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 cups orzo
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
1 teaspoon dried parsley

To make the lamb shanks, preheat the oven to 325° F. Heat a large skillet or sauté pan over high heat. Add the olive oil. Season the shanks with salt and pepper. Add to the pan and sauté until nicely browned, about 2 minutes per side. Remove shanks and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add the carrots, celery, onions, and green peppers. Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper. Sauté until lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste. Stir well to combine paste with vegetables. Pour in the wine and broth. Deglaze pan, scraping up all of the browned bits in the bottom. Add the tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, parsley, additional salt and pepper and lemon juice. Stir well. Return the shanks, and accumulated juices, to the pan. Cover with a tight lid or, if in doubt, foil. Place in oven and braise until meat is very tender, about 2-1/2 hours. Check every 30 minutes or so to make sure moisture is not evaporating and to spoon some of the sauce over the shanks.

For the orzo, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the orzo and toast until well-browned, about 10 minutes, stirring often and reducing heat as needed to prevent burning. Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth and water in a small saucepan just to boiling.

To finish the dish, increase oven temperature to 400° F. Stir the toasted orzo, hot broth/water mixture, lemon juice, marjoram, parsley, salt and pepper into the sauce in the pan with the shanks and vegetables. Cover again; return to oven and bake until orzo is tender, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately. YUM!

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