Rosemary Braised Lamb Shanks

1. Wash lamb shanks thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel.
2. Rub salt and pepper on both sides of each shank and set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over a medium-high flame.
4. Add shanks to the pot in batches, frying each side for 8 minutes, or until brown and cooked through. Transfer shanks to a plate and keep aside.
5. In the same pot or Dutch oven, add onions, garlic and carrots; sauté for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Pour wine, chicken and beef broth and tomatoes with the juice into the pot and season with thyme and rosemary.
7. Add the shanks back to the pot, pressing each one down to submerge in the sauce.
8. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce heat to a medium-low. Cover pot with lid and let it simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is tender.
9. Remove lid from the pot and let the sauce simmer for another 20 minutes.
10. Remove shanks from the sauce and set aside (keep them warm)
11. Heat and cook the sauce further for 15 more minutes or until it thickens.
12. Plate the shanks and spoon the sauce on top. Serve with polenta or sides of your choice.

Trivia

The herb rosemary gets its English name from the original one in Latin called ros-marinis which means “mist of the sea” or “dew of the sea”. This is because the foliage grows in 2-7 feet high shrubs on cliffs near the seas of Spain, Greece, France and Italy.