Fork and Gobble It: The Comfort of Braising

Fridays on the BottleBlog will feature a food-related article, wine pairing, or travelogue. Today, Wine Manager Mark Ricca shows us how to braise lamb shanks

Marky had a little lamb
He braised its little shanks
And everyone who ate that stuff
Raised their wine glass in thanks!
Now we get to the heart of the winter. The temperatures dip their lowest. The winds blow the hardest, and the chill gets closest to the bone. We guard against these perils with a combination of hearty food and wine with the character to match. Braised meat dishes such as Veal Osso Bucco or Lamb Shanks comfort, fortify and inspire you to face cold, snow, wind and the short daylight of winter. With these foods we pair Burgundy, Syrah from the Rhone or Australia, Malbec from Argentina and the selection goes endlessly.

I had to cook lamb shanks last week. The third snowstorm of the season was already on the map and I needed a carrot dangled in front of me to help me shovel more snow.

I never make this dish for one meal. It takes enough effort that I need to get two or three meals out of the process. Ideally, you make it a day or two before you will eat it so that it benefits from sitting and there isn't a pressure to finish the dish in time for dinner.

This is a labor of love, not a rush to get a meal to the table.

I started this time with a half dozen lamb shanks, Australian lamb of a good size. Braising is always the same method. Sear the meat, create the cooking broth, cook it.

You will need:

-6 Lamb Shanks
-Extra Virgin Olive Oil
-Salt and Black Pepper

Season the shanks generously. In a dutch oven (preferably one with a tight fitting lid) large enough to hold them all, sear the shanks well all over. Set them aside.

Prepare the following while searing the shanks.

-1 spanish onion diced small
-3 ribs celery diced as above
-3 medium carrots diced as above
-5 cloves of fresh garlic minced
-prepare and reserve 2 TBSP minced fresh rosemary

My shanks looked like this when they were done.

After the last shank is seared put them aside to rest and add the vegetables. Saute the vegetables in the pan over medium heat until they become translucent and tender.

For the next part of the recipe you will need:

-2 Tblsp. tomato paste (or substitute 4 oz of good marinara)
-¾ cup dry red wine

Add the paste to the vegetables in the pan, lower the flame to med/low, and stir well. Allow the paste to mingle with the vegetables and cook a little bit until it changes color. Add the wine and bring it to a boil, then allow it to simmer for a minute or two. Pre-heat your oven to 275F. Add the rosemary and two bay leaves.

It should look like this.

Next you will need:

A quart of chicken stock: homemade or good store quality and water enough to just cover the shanks. Add these to the pan, cover it and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. Now move it to the oven where it will simmer for about two and a half hours. They are done when the meat is tender and nearly falling off the bone. If you aren't going to eat them the same day you cook them, cool them in the pot and keep them there until you need them.

Pour yourself a glass of wine, (a nice Cru Beaujolais like the Potel/Aviron Julienas Old Vines would be great) and get ready for the next step.

Note here that all the preceding is best done ahead. I did mine two days prior to having the shanks for dinner.

The accompaniments for the shanks were a large tossed salad and white beans with rosemary and garlic.

For the beans you will need:

- 1 lb. Of dried white beans such as canellini picked over for foreign matter and soaked overnight, or for an hour in hot water.
-6 whole, peeled cloves of garlic.
-Leaves from a small branch of rosemary

Put all the above in a pot 5 quarts or larger and cover with cold water at least 5 inches over the beans.

Bring the pot to a boil, lower it to a simmer, and cook the beans for about an hour or so. They are done when they are tender. While this is going on, return the lamb shanks to a 275F oven. They should be completely heated through by the time the beans are done. After an hour+ of simmering slowly just about all the liquid should be evaporated, the garlic will be falling apart, and the beans will be very soft. If you have some good extra virgin olive oil pour a splash of that in and stir the beans well.

They should look like this.

Now, all that work pays off. It's time to eat. Lamb presents some awesome wine pairing opportunities and I personally like my wine to have some of the same gaminess as the meat. This usually means old world and I favor the traditional, French. A southern Rhone wine like Gigondas, Vacqueyras, Cotes du Rhone, Chateauneuf du Pape or something from Provence like Bandol would be my first picks.

We went with a Gigondas from Les Pallieres, a very traditionally styled wine made from 100% Grenache. It has red berry flavors, bright acidity, a peppery note, and a little gaminess as well. It was as good a match as you could wish for.

And the finished product?


Comfort food? Oh, I think so.

Questons? Direct them to the website, and I'm all about requests so fire away.