Some time ago I promised to cook a Sunday lunch at my parents' for the family and S. I was completely out of ideas and had no vision whatsoever. Times like that call for a visit to my favourite butcher, Reinin Liha, at the Hakaniemi Market Hall in Helsinki. The market hall opened in 1914, and has been an excellent source of meat, fish and produce ever since. Hakaniemi is also where I buy my Asian groceries, at Vii Voan. Reinin Liha is considered one of the best butchers in Finland, if not the best. They have been in business for 56 years, and their experience really shows in the service. It is also the place to ask for T-bone and porterhouse steaks, which you will look for in vain in the ordinary supermarkets.
I was supposed to serve the meal at 3 pm, so I decided to buy the meat the day before. I know few better ways to look for inspiration than browsing the meat-filled counters of a proper butcher's shop. It didn't take long at Reinin Liha to find beautiful shanks of young lamb. I love everything lamb, and goat too, but shanks don't come my way every day. When I saw them I immediately knew they would make the perfect dish for my brand-spanking-new Emile Henry earthenware round casserole. Emile Henry is a firm from Burgundy that has apparently been making kitchen pottery since 1850, and the casserole had been waiting in the cupboard for its first proper job. In Italian a shank is stinco, by the way, and al forno means done in the oven.
I prepared the lamb shanks with the recipe I got with them at the shop. They were marinated overnight in the fridge, in olive oil spiced with garlic, thyme and rosemary. In the picture they are already in the red casserole under a layer of chopped rosemary and garlic, with the wine poured in and the lid waiting at the side.
On Sunday morning I did the unthinkable and woke up before nine, so that the shanks would have plenty of time to simmer at a low temperature. The longer you cook them, the more tender the shanks will be, and in the end the meat falls off the bone. Yummy! I cooked mine for five hours. In the oven at nine, out at half past two, which still left time to boil down the juices before three. I have read that a shank is full of connective tissue, which only softens into something like jelly after hours of gentle heat, and that is why a shank cooked quickly stays tough. For most of the time the oven is at a mere 100 °C and needs no attention at all. Meanwhile I had time to make coffee and read the paper.
Recipe card
Braised Lamb Shanks
- Serves 6
- Marinating overnight
- Oven 150 °C (300 °F), after 30 minutes 100 °C (225 °F)
- Braising about 5 hours
You will need
| 6 | organically grown lamb shanks (about 2 kg / 4.5 lb) |
| salt, pepper | |
| virgin olive oil | |
| plenty of coarsely crushed garlic | |
| 4 tbsp | chopped fresh rosemary |
| 1 tsp | dried thyme |
| 1/2 bottle | red wine, for example Señorío de los Llanos Reserva |
Method
- Prepare the marinade by mixing the oil and spices. Let the shanks marinate in the fridge overnight.
- Heat the oven to 150 °C (300 °F).
- Put the shanks close to each other in a deep pot, bone facing up. Pour the marinade over the shanks. Pour in the wine, about half a bottle, until the shanks are covered up to half their height.
- Cover the pot with a lid and lower the temperature to 100 °C (225 °F) after 30 minutes. Let cook for about 5 hours, until tender enough to be eaten without a knife.
- Sieve the juices, boil them down and serve as a sauce.
Mashed potatoes go well with the shanks. Try mixing a few tablespoons of pesto into the mash.
At the table the meat came off the bone with just a fork, so nobody needed a knife for the shanks.
4 comments
And what a way to return! Glad to see you back ...
Now that's a good boy! Great picture, nice recipe and the mention of Hakaniemen tori raised very nostalgic feelings for a long-lost period in life.
That looks amazing! I love lamb shanks and anything slow cooked to tender...Mmmmmm! 🙂 Nice casserole!
Ivonne, Eszter & Joey: Sorry for not replying to your comments earlier! This blog-neglect must end 🙂 I have heaps of pictures and recipes just waiting to be blogged... But thanks for coming and waiting 🙂