I recently rediscovered this recipe I collected over 30 years ago… Fall-off-the-bone tender braised lamb shanks in a deliciously complex porcini mushroom and wine sauce, this is truly a dish for a special occasion. The list of ingredients is a bit long, which requires some planning, but the fine restaurant-worthy results are well worth the effort. I like to serve this dish over noodles like farfalle or pappardelle garnished with Green Beans with Walnut Gremolata. A side dish of baked Delicata squash rounds brushed with coconut oil is an easy natural complement to the lamb and adds color to your presentation. Bon appetit!

Braised Lamb Shanks
4 servings

INGREDIENTS

•   ½ cup sliced dried porcini mushrooms
•    2 cups hot water
•    4 bay leaves, fresh or dried
•    2 fresh rosemary sprigs
•    4 cloves
•    salt and pepper
•    4 1-pound lamb foreshanks, cut just above the knee joint
•    ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
•    2 medium onions chopped3-4 cloves of garlic minced
•    1 teaspoon fennel seed
•    ¼ cup pancetta or bacon, minced
•    2 cups fresh orange juice
•    ¼ cup fresh orange peel, cut into thick strips
•     1 cup Barolo or other dry red wine
•     ¼ cup tomato paste
•     6 to 8 cups of chicken stock
•    Optional: chopped parsley for garnish

PREPARATION
Preheat your oven to 300 F.

1. Soak the porcini in a bowl of hot water for 20 minutes; strain through a fine sieve lined with 2 layers of cheesecloth; chop the porcini and reserve the juice separately
2. Wrap the bay leaves, rosemary, and cloves in cheesecloth; tie closed with kitchen twine and reserve.
3. Season the lamb shanks generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large skillet and brown the shanks on all sides over med-high heat. Once brown, remove the shanks to a platter and cover.
4. In a Dutch oven, over medium heat, sauté the onions, garlic, fennel, and pancetta until golden (about 8 minutes).
5. Add the wine to the Dutch oven along with the chopped porcini, herb bundle, orange juice, and thick strips of orange peel. Bring to a boil and simmer until reduced by half; stir in the tomato paste and porcini juice.
6. Add the shanks and enough stock to cover the shanks. Bring the liquid to a boil and place the Dutch oven in the preheated oven for about 2 hours or until the lamb is fork tender.
7. Carefully remove the hot Dutch oven from the oven and transfer the shanks to a platter and cover lightly with tin foil. Set aside the hot Dutch oven to cool for 5-10 minutes.
8. Once the Dutch oven is cool enough to handle, strain the braising liquid through a fine sieve. Return the strained broth to the Dutch oven and reduce the braising stock to sauce consistency. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Return the lamb shanks to the sauce and cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

Wine pairing: dry red wines with fruit-forward character work well with this rich dish. Try Burgundy, Cotes du Rhone, Merlot, Tempranillo, Grenache, Nero d’Avola, Nebbiolo, Zinfandel, or Red wines from the Douro Valley in Portugal.