For ➋* 2 (about 800 g total) lamb shanks
extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper**
1 large sweet onion, sliced
10 cl red wine
1 head (10 to 12 whole cloves) garlic, separated & peeled
1 (700 g) can chopped tomatoes
10 cl water (or more)
chopped parsley for garnish
Pat meat dry. Rub lamb shanks with olive oil. Season generously with salt and pepper.**
Heat a heavy casserole. When hot, drizzle a thin layer of olive oil to coat the bottom. Sear the lamb shanks until browned and remove from the pot.
To the same pot, add 1 ts of olive oil and the sliced sweet onions. Toss to coat with the pan drippings. Reduce heat and cover. Sweat the onions until limp but not browned, stirring often. When they are limp, add the wine and cook for 2 m, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add garlic cloves, tomatoes, and 10 cl of water. Stir to combine, then return the lamb shanks to the pot.
Reduce heat to low and simmer, turning lamb shanks occasionally, for 1-1½ h or until tender. Add additional water if the sauce becomes too thick.
Serve braised lamb shanks with cooked pasta, rice, mashed potatoes or polenta. Sprinkle with parsley.
** to give it a more authentic Italian flavour, add ½ bunch fresh thyme, ½ bunch fresh rosemary picked clean and chopped; flour to lightly coat the shanks
