Braised Lamb Shanks with Shallots

Directions

1. 1. Heat the oil in a wide, non-stick frying or sauté pan that has a close fitting lid. I just say wide so that all the meat can touch the bottom of the pan while it browns and cooks. I you don’t have a pan wide enough, don’t worry, just brown the shanks in stages, and you may need to use a little more liquid to cook so that the lamb is flavoured by all the ingredients in the cooking liquor.
2. 2. Brown the meat in the pan, turning it until you get some nice colour. Remove, and set aside.
3. 3. Don’t clean the pan, just add the shallots and allow them to brown. Then return the lamb to your pan.
4. 4. Add the garlic, tomato purée, honey, oregano, cumin, chili powder, some salt and stir through. Then add the white wine and the vinegar. Stir through and cover.
5. 5. Don’t worry if the liquid does not completely cover your meat, the idea is to create quite a rich, thick sauce.
6. 6. Stew on a low heat for 2 hours, or until the meat is so tender that it falls off the bone. Keep the pan covered. Turn the meat every half hour or so making sure it gets a chance to completely cook in the liquor. Make sure the heat is correct, it should bubble very gently. If the pan gets too dry, just add a little water.
7. 7. Just before serving, stir through most of your herbs, keeping a little back to sprinkle over the dish as presentation (and also flavour) when you serve.