Chef John's Braised Lamb Shanks

You don't often see lamb cooked with these spices, but they really work together wonderfully. The final plate ended up being a sort of North African/Central American fusion thing, with the fragrantly spiced meat and peppers resting on a simple bed of couscous.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 289 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 onion, sliced
• ½ cup chicken broth
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
• 4 lamb shanks
• 1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
• 3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Generously season lamb shanks with salt and black pepper.

Step 2

Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place lamb shanks in the Dutch oven, cook, turning, until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer shanks to a plate. Drain off remaining oil and fat so only 1 tablespoon remains in the Dutch oven.

Step 3

Stir onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt into the Dutch oven; decrease heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until onions are softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste, chipotle chile powder, ancho chile powder, and ground cinnamon; stir to combine.

Step 4

Pour 1 cup chicken broth over onion mixture. Increase heat to high; when liquid boils, place lamb shanks in Dutch oven. Cover and cook in the preheated oven for 90 minutes.

Step 5

Remove Dutch oven and stir in jalapeno pepper, red bell pepper and 1/2 cup chicken stock; bring to a boil on the stovetop. Return pan to the oven and cook, uncovered, until lamb shanks are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer lamb to plate.

Step 6

Place Dutch oven on the stovetop over high heat; bring liquid to a boil and cook, skimming off any foam, until liquid is reduced and thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro; season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over lamb shanks and serve.