Braised Lamb with Mint Pesto and Root Vegetables
If you haven’t tried lamb shank, try this! It is a fairly inexpensive cut of meat that is amazingly delicious. This lamb is braised in red wine, served over root vegetables with a mint pesto that is to die for.
Ingredients
4 lamb shanks
1 1/2 cups red wine
2 cups chicken stock
4 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 sprigs thyme
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 onion, sliced
4 carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into large pieces
6 fingerling potatoes, cut in half
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cup mint
1/4 cup parmesan, grated
1/4 cup pine nuts
Instructions
Heat oven to 325 degrees.
Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven. Sear the lamb on all sides. Remove the lamb and add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes until tender. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes until the wine is slightly reduced. Add the chicken stock, thyme and lamb to the pot. Cover and put in the oven for 3 hours until internal temp of 160 degrees.
About an hour before the lamb is ready toss the carrots, parsnips and potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper in a roasting pan and roast for an hour until tender.
To make the mint pesto, add mint, parmesan, and pine nuts to a food processor and blend in about 1/4 cup olive oil.
Serve the lamb over the roasted vegetables with a bit of pesto.
Takes 3 hours 15 minutes
Serves 4-6