The Only Lamb Shanks Recipe that Matters

we used to serve this up as a special at a restaurant i worked at in singles called cardwells and it would sell out the first night every single time these lamb shanks are the only recipe that matters the prep for it is crazy easy but get those knife skills ready sound good let's cook we want to start off with a really good mirepoix base for our braising liquid so i have one yellow onion we're gonna slice off the end slice it in half remove that outside peel and just give it a medium to large dice does not need to be perfect next i have two carrots we're going to peel and then again medium to large dice i also have two ribs of celery again same thing medium to large dice just keep the vegetable size consistent next i have one parsnip what we want to do is peel it now this one's pretty large so i'm only going to use half of it you can find a nice medium sized one use the whole thing same thing medium to large dice last i've got a turnip we are just going to peel it on all sides and then the exact same thing guys repetition and practice for those knife skills we are going to give it a medium to large dice take it add it to the bowl with all of the other vegetables next i'm going to add in four to five whole garlic cloves for a little more flavor the different root vegetables and the aromatics in each of them will help add complex layers to the flavor in this lamb speaking of lamb i have about three pounds worth of lamb shanks four in total 12 oz each which is a perfect per person amount we want to season it well on all sides with salt and pepper and just in case you're wondering i brush it with a little bit of olive oil that's where you're going to see that little yellow green color on there you can find these at just about any butcher shop out there and they have gained in price a little bit over the last few years but they're still pretty reasonable and there are plenty of meat on each of these bones to make sure you're nice and full here's what we do with them in a large dutch oven or rondo pot we're gonna add in two tablespoons of olive oil crank the heat to medium-high once it begins to lightly smoke we're next gonna add in our lamb shanks just like when i sear anything else make sure not to overcrowd now this is going to take about three to four minutes per side and when i mean per side i'm talking every side all four sides we want to get beautifully golden brown just like this once they are browned we're simply going to remove them from the pot set them to the side on a plate looks absolutely incredible here go back over to that pot let's add in all of those amazing root vegetables that we cut up we want to get a really nice sear on this so we're talking about 10 minutes no need to constantly stir it but come back every two or three minutes give it a stir when it gets that nice brown on there just like this we're going to go to the next stage taking the time to sear that lamb and the vegetables is crucial to the success of this dish and ensuring it tastes amazing but don't forget this deglaze with two cups of a good red wine cabernet sauvignon merlot shiraz malbec any of those will be great we want to cook it until the amount of liquid is reduced by one half so there should be about a cup left next we're going to add in three tablespoons of tomato paste it's not only going to add flavor it's gonna help thicken up our braising liquid later our sauce once it is mixed in we've got six total cups of good beef stock and please use good beef stock we're gonna next add in a small bunch of fresh flat leaf italian parsley thyme and lastly rosemary season up this liquid very very well with salt and fresh cracked black pepper next just grab a spoon mix everything in there and taste it make sure it tastes good super important now add in our lamb shanks back into that pot we want to make sure that they are submerged in that liquid we're going to put the top to that pot on next we're going in the oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit it's gonna take about two and a half hours for these to completely finish cooking i cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure that braising liquid is so seasoned up after all that lamb is sitting in there for hours until it gently pulls away from that bone we want to infuse as much as that flavor as possible into each of those lamb shanks but we do have some time so maybe after a little bit we'll come back because maybe just maybe i want to hook up a little side dish to put that lampshank on we've got a little bit more than an hour so but this is plenty of time to make a recipe that i've already hooked up on video but i'm going to add a few more ingredients in it to take the flavor to the next level we're going to be making a caramelized onion and fresh basil risotto just like we used to make back in my restaurant days that we used to serve the lamb shank on we're going to add in 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter to a dutch oven pot turn the heat to medium next i have two medium-sized peeled medium to large diced yellow onions what we want to do is take the time to caramelize these that means every five to six minutes or so for about a total of 45 minutes we come back and give it a stir until it at least looks like this you can definitely go further than this though my friends if you don't take the time to do that you are missing out and one of the most amazing main flavor profiles in that risotto don't skip it next just like in my normal risotto recipe we're gonna add in two finely minced cloves of garlic saute for about one to two minutes and then we're gonna add in one pound of short grain arborio rice we stir it until it gets a little toast on there you can see that it loses its bright white color just like this excellent deglaze with about a cup and a half of good white wine chardonnay sauvignon blanc pinot grigio any of those will work then it begins the process of making risotto once it's sucked up the liquid we're now going to move to chicken stock add in a ladle at a time while constantly stirring stir some more and why is it whenever you stir you always put your other hand on your hip i think this is just good chef practice okay i'm kidding next more chicken stock a ladle at a time stir stir stir until it becomes creamy you'll get to a point where it really can't suck up any more liquid which takes about 25 to 30 minutes and 48 ounces of chicken stock next we're gonna finish it off with a quarter cup of heavy cream if you don't like that take it up with thomas keller one of the best chefs in the world and that's where i learned it from now we are going to add in about a cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese sprinkle that in there mix it until it is completely combined and mixed in there now you got to be careful because parmesan can be salty so when it comes to seasoning we need to pay close attention first we're going to add in a quarter cup of chiffonade fresh basil and again season it with salt and ground white pepper but pay attention to the seasonings remember season once taste twice taste it season it taste it see if you need a little bit more looks fantastic let's set it to the side and get ready to plate it up we are just about wrapped up in the smell oh my gosh the smell incredible and it always goes back to these fundamental classic cooking techniques because that's what it takes to get you here practicing them over and over again no matter what dish you're making it will elevate your everyday cooking that's what it's all about all right we got a few more things to do to help make this amazing here's what you need to do let's remove those lamb shanks from the oven take off the lid yeah that is absolute perfection my friends we are gonna remove the lamb shanks set them to the side on a plate let them rest for just maybe four or five minutes no big deal go back over to your pot we are going to strain it through a chinois or a fine mesh strainer right into a medium sized pot be sure to get all of that goodness out of there give it shakes press it down whatever you can do to save that liquid gold going back over to the cooktop we're going to turn it onto high heat maybe four to five minutes we want to reduce it by maybe 25 thicken it up this looks perfect let's plate it up by adding a huge scoop of this risotto right to a bowl top it off with that gorgeous looking lamb shank let's of course add on plenty of that amazing gravy sauce and finish it off with any of the fresh herbs that we braise it in parsley thyme or rosemary so unbelievably good the sauce so rich and tasty this is just a memorable dish and i'm guessing if you try it it'll probably be memorable for you as well and if you love this you have got to try out my leg of lamb recipe it is so dang tasty i'll see you on there [Music]

Channel: Chef Billy Parisi

Views: 51,169

Keywords: how to cook lamb shanks, how to make lamb shanks, lamb shanks recipe, lamb recipe, lamb, lamb shanks in oven, braised lamb shanks, braised lamb, braised lamb shanks red wine, red wine lamb shanks, braised lamb shank recipe, chef billy parisi, billy parisi, chef billy

Id: dARky8VN6Vk

Length: 8min 51sec (531 seconds)

Published: Wed Apr 06 2022