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1
Heat oven to 325 degrees.
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2
Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
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3
Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper; coat in flour, shaking off the excess.
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4
Add 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil to the hot pan; add 2 of the lamb shanks.
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5
Brown on all sides, about 8 minutes.
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6
Remove; set aside.
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7
Repeat with remaining 2 shanks.
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8
Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to the pan if needed.
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9
Add the onion, carrot and celery; cook, stirring often, until golden brown, about 10 minutes.
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10
Add the garlic; cook 1 minute.
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11
Add the wine, stirring to scrape up any browned bits.
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12
Cook until wine almost disappears, about 5 minutes.
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13
Return the lamb shanks to the pan; pour in enough of the beef broth to come halfway up the sides of the shanks.
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14
Add the bay leaves, thyme and parsley.
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15
Heat to a simmer; cover.
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16
Place the pan in the oven.
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17
Braise, turning the lamb shanks over in the sauce every 30 minutes, until the shanks are tender and meat can be pulled easily from the bone, about 11/2-2 hours.
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18
Remove shanks to a platter.
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19
Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a clean saucepan; discard the solids.
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20
Heat sauce over medium-high heat.
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21
To thicken the sauce, if desired, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold liquid: broth, water or wine.
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22
Stir half the mixture slowly into the boiling sauce; add remaining mixture if needed.
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23
Adjust seasoning.
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24
Return the shanks to the sauce to warm the meat, about 3 minutes.
