Lamb Shanks in a Saskatoon and Pinot Noir Sauce

Ease of Preparation: Medium

Yield: 4 servings

This recipe was originally published in the award-winning cookbook Eat Alberta First by Karen Anderson (TouchWood Editions, 2023). Reprinted here with permission.

You can purchase Eat Alberta First here

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 4x Alberta lamb shanks
• Flour, for dredging
• Salt and pepper
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 1 leek, mostly the white part, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 large carrot, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup Pinot Noir
• 1 cup homemade or low-sodium store-bought beef stock
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1 cup fresh or frozen Saskatoon berries

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F
2. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven on medium-high heat
3. Dredge the lamb shanks in flour and salt and pepper, shake off the excess flour, add the lamb to the hot oil and brown on all sides.
4. Add the onions, leeks, celery, carrots, garlic, wine, stock, thyme, rosemary, and berries. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any brown bits. Cover, transfer to the oven, and cook until the meat falls away from the bones, 3-4 hours.
5. Use tongs to transfer the lamb shanks to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
6. Pour the liquid from the Dutch oven through a fine sieve into a large bowl and press on the solids to extract all the juices. Discard the solids.
7. Return the liquids to the Dutch oven and heat them over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a thick sauce-like consistency.
8. To serve, arrange the lamb shanks on a pillow of mashed buttercup squash and top with a few generous spoonfuls of the sauce. Green Beans with Herbs (pg 335) add a pleasant color and texture contrast to the plate.