Serve with mashed potatoes, oven roasted yukon gold potatoes, or orzo risotto (all of these recipes are posted on this web site).

Five Lamb Shanks

A Quart Of Homemade Chicken Stock Or Packaged Low Sodium Chicken Broth (Note: you probably will not need all of this chicken stock)

A Cup Of Roughly Chopped Carrots

A Cup Of Roughly Chopped Celery

1 1/2 Cups Of Roughly Chopped Spanish Onion

Three Peeled Garlic Cloves

Two Cups Of Red Wine (That You Would Drink)

A Cup Of Port Wine

A Tablespoon Of Anchovy Paste

A Tablespoon Of Tomato Paste

1 1/2 Tablespoons Of Unsalted Butter

Two Whole Fresh Italian Parsley Stalks

A Whole Rosemary Stalk

Two Whole Thyme Stalks

Two Teaspoons Of Ground Black Pepper (Approximate)

Four Teaspoons Of Sea Salt (Approximate)

Three Tablespoons Of Olive Oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle sea salt and ground black pepper on all sides of the lamb shanks. Put a large Dutch oven on the stovetop. Turn the heat up to medium high. After four minutes, add the olive oil. Put the lamb shanks into the Dutch oven and brown them on all sides. Note: Do not crowd the Dutch oven as this will hinder the browning process. Depending on the size of the shanks, they may need to be browned in batches of two or three. After the lamb shanks have been browned, remove them from the pot and place the shanks on a plate.

Add the carrot, the celery, the onion, the garlic, a teaspoon of ground black pepper, and two teaspoons of sea salt to the Dutch oven. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any of the brown bits. Cook the vegetables for four minutes stirring frequently. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the Dutch oven again to loosen any of the remaining brown bits. Let the wine and the vegetables cook for five minutes on medium high heat. Add the anchovy paste and the tomato paste. Stir until well blended. Add the lamb shanks back into the pot (bone side up and meaty portion down). Add enough chicken stock to cover the lamb shanks about halfway. Tie the parsley stalks, the rosemary stalk, and the thyme stalks into a bundle with cooking twine. Drop the herb bundle into the Dutch oven with the lamb shanks. Cover the top of the Dutch oven with aluminum foil and put it into the preheated oven. Bake for two hours until the lamb shanks have shrunk and the bones are exposed. Note: the lamb shanks should look like lollipops. Remove the lamb shanks to a roasting pan and cover them with aluminum foil. Place in the oven set at 170 degrees to keep the shanks warm until serving time.

Skim any excess fat off of the top of the braising liquid. Strain this liquid through a colander (with a paper towel in it) to remove any of the solids. Put the strained braising liquid into a saucepot. Put the sauce pot on the stove top. Cook the liquid on medium heat to reduce it by a third. After the braising liquid has been reduced, taste it and add more sea salt and/or ground black pepper, if desired. Turn the heat off and whisk in the butter until the sauce is smooth and thickened slightly. Serve the sauce with the lamb shanks.