Mark Bittman's Quick and Easy Recipes From the New York Times - Mark Bittman [80]
4 lamb shanks (each about 1 pound)
1 cup port or red wine
8 garlic cloves (don’t bother to peel them)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar or fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1. Combine the lamb shanks, port, and garlic in a skillet just large enough to hold the shanks. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil; cover and turn down the heat so that the mixture simmers gently. Cook, turning about every 30 minutes, until the shanks are tender and a lovely mahogany color, at least 2 hours and more likely longer.
2. Remove the shanks and strain the sauce. If time allows, refrigerate both separately; skim the fat from the top of the sauce. Preheat a grill or broiler until quite hot; the rack should be 4 to 6 inches from the heat source.
3. Grill or broil the shanks until nicely browned all over, sprinkling them with salt and pepper to taste and turning as necessary; total cooking time will be about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat the sauce gently; season it with salt and pepper, then add the vinegar or lemon juice. Taste and add more seasoning if needed. Serve the shanks with the sauce.
VARIATION
Anise-Flavored Lamb Shanks (or Short Ribs)
For an Asian-flavored main course, braise the meat in a mixture of ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 cup water, 5 thin slices peeled fresh ginger, 5 whole star anise, 4 garlic cloves, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Proceed as directed, finishing the sauce with rice or white wine vinegar.
BRAISED AND BROWNED LAMB WITH PEACHES
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
TIME: ABOUT 1½ HOURS, LARGELY UNATTENDED
A LOGICAL COMBINATION, and glorious once you taste it, with the sweet juice of the peaches deftly cutting through the richness of the lamb without being piercing. A hint of cinnamon (or an even smaller one of allspice—maybe an eighth of a teaspoon) gives the dish a great aroma as it cooks and a slightly mysterious flavor at the table. A pinch of cayenne or other red pepper makes a nice addition.
Whereas most braises begin with browning, this one ends with it, like the Braised and Grilled Lamb Shanks. This method reduces both spattering and time—since the lamb’s liquid is mostly gone by the end of cooking, it doesn’t go flying from the hot fat, and the meat browns faster. And the peaches, browning lightly in the same cooking liquid, contribute some of their juices to the pan while becoming meltingly tender.
2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat and gristle and cut into 1- to 1½-inch pieces
Salt
1 cinnamon stick or ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cayenne or other red pepper, or to taste
1 medium to large onion, cut in half
½ cup port, red wine, or water
4 medium to large ripe peaches
Juice of 1 lemon
1 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
1. Put the lamb in a 12-inch skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Season with salt and add the cinnamon, cayenne, onion, and wine. Bring to a boil, cover, and adjust the heat so that the mixture simmers steadily but not violently. Cook, checking and stirring every 15 minutes or so, adding a little more liquid in the unlikely event that the mixture cooks dry. (This probably means that the heat is too high; turn it down a bit.)
2. After 1 to 1½ hours, the meat should be tender when poked with a small, sharp knife; remove the onion and cinnamon stick, then turn the heat to medium-high and cook off any remaining liquid, allowing the lamb to brown a little. Cut the peaches in half and remove their pits, then cut each of them into 12 or 16 wedges. Stir in the peaches and continue to cook, gently tossing or stirring the mixture, until the peaches are glazed and quite soft but still intact, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the lemon juice and most of the parsley; taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with the remaining bit of herb and serve.
LAMB WITH PEPPERS AND YOGURT SAUCE
MAKES 4 SERVINGS