Moroccan Spiced Lamb Shank Stew

One of the things I’ll miss most about culinary school is the free food I got to bring home. Not only all of the delicious meals we prepared in class, but the rare pieces of wonderful produce leftover were also excellent treats. One time towards the beginning of school when we were learning about braising, at the end of class there were extra packs of lamb shanks. I think a couple of people were missing from class that day which led to their existence. As we’re cleaning and getting ready to leave for the night, the instructor offered the shanks up for anyone to take home. Lamb has become one of favorite proteins in recent history, so I jumped at the chance to take them with me and throw them in the freezer for a rainy day – a rainy day in need of deliciousness that is. The lamb shanks we prepared in class were more traditional French, but here I spiced things up a bit by adding some Moroccan inspired flavors such as cumin, paprika, coriander and curry.

• 2 lamb shanks
• salt
• pepper
• cumin
• paprika
• curry powder
• ground coriander
• neutral oil
• 3 small carrots (chopped)
• 1 onion (chopped)
• 2 cups red wine (I used a Malbec)
• 4 garlic cloves (peeled and cut in half)
• 28 oz can diced tomatoes
• 14.5 oz can reduced sodium/low fat beef stock (so you’ll have better control over the salt level)
• 2 bay leaves 
• dried oregano
• 14.5 oz can chick peas
• rice and pita bread (for serving)

• Season the lamb liberally with salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, curry powder, and ground coriander. Brown all sides in a neutral oil (such as canola or vegetable) and remove.
• Saute the carrots and onions in that same pan until slightly caramelized. Deglaze with the red wine.
• Add the shanks back to the pan along with the garlic, tomatoes, beef stock, bay leaves, and a few tablespoons of oregano. Let simmer for 3 hours. You can do this on the stove top or by placing the covered pot in the oven at about 350 degrees. If you go the oven route, check on it after 15 minutes or so to ensure that the stew is slowly simmering and then adjust the oven temperature if necessary.
• Remove the lamb from the pot. Turn up the fire to let the sauce reduce and thicken to the desired consistency. Add the chick peas to warm through. 
• Meanwhile, cut the meat from the bone and add back to the sauce once thickened. You don’t want to boil the meat, which is why you remove it during this step. Also, you should add a little bit of the liquid to the reserved meat and put in a covered container in order to keep the lamb moist.
• Once the sauce is the proper consistency, add the meat back, taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve over rice and with pita bread.

Kitchen Safety Tip:
I fought the lamb, and the lamb won. In cooking with any sort of fat (butter, oil, etc.), it is important to always be as careful as possible. Otherwise your arm may end up looking mine does in the picture below. This happened as I was turning the the lamb shanks to brown the other side. To my beautiful arm complexion’s demise, the shank slipped from the tongs and plopped down into the hot oil, causing it to jump straight at me like a bat out of hell. I cooked this dish at the end of November 2011 and I still have scars to this day (although it looks better than it did at first). I like to think my battle wounds make me look like more of a kitchen badass and give me some extra kitchen street cred, but I’ll let you decide. Tell me about any of your culinary wounds in the comment section below.