Tangy Braised Lamb Shanks

Preparation time is 20 minutes, Soaking time in 1 hour, Cooking 2 hours 45 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 Chipotle chilies
• 1-cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
• 4 Lamb Shanks – Frenched to eye of meat *
• 2 medium white onions – halved
• 1/3-cup raisins
• 4 cloves garlic – minced
• Pinch of oregano
• Pinch of sugar
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• 28oz tomatoes – peeled
• ¾ cup beef stock
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• Salt & pepper

Directions

1. For this recipe the lamb shanks are frenched all the way down to the eye of the meat.
2. Place your Chipotle chilies in a bowl with 1 cup of boiling water.  Set them aside to soak for 1 hour.
3. Heat your oil in a heavy skillet.  Meanwhile season your lamb shanks with salt and pepper.  Place your shanks in the hot oil and brown on all sides.  This should take approximately 20 minutes. Remove the meat from the skillet and set it aside.
4. Remove all but 2 tablespoon of oil from skillet, being sure not to remove any of the browned bits left behind from browning your lamb shanks – these are flavour!  Add your onions and sauté over a medium heat until onions are soft.
5. Meanwhile, remove your chilies that have been soaking for an hour and place them in a blender with 1/3 of the soaking liquid.  Mix until smooth.
6. Reduce heat on your onions to low.  Stir in the raisins, sugar, garlic, oregano, and cumin.  Pour in your chili puree and cook while stirring constantly for a few minutes.  Add your tomatoes, beef stock, bay leaf to the skillet and bring this to a boil.  Add the lamb shanks and simmer over a low heat, covered, turning occasionally until lamb is very tender, should take about 2 to 2 ½ hours.
7. Remove lamb shanks and place them into a serving dish and keep warm.
8. For the sauce, skim and discard fat from cooking sauce.  Stir in the vinegar and bring it back up to a boil, uncovered, over medium high heat.  Stir frequently until sauce is thickened, approximately 10 minutes. Spoon sauce over lamb shanks and serve.