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Lamb Shanks
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Place lamb on a large rimmed baking sheet; season with 2 Tbs salt & pepper. Mix rosemary, fennel seeds, & grated garlic; massage into lamb. Cover & let stand at room temperature for 1 hr or preferably, chill overnight.
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Preheat oven to 350. Heat oil in a large wide heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, season with salt & pepper, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8-10 min.
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Add minced garlic, flour, paprika, & red pepper flakes. Stir vigorously. Cook, stirring often, until mixture becomes dry, about 1 min. Add tomatoes & wine. Simmer briskly, stirring often, until juices thicken & tomatoes begin to break down, about 10 min.
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Gradually stir in 4 cups broth. Simmer 3-4 min. Season with salt & pepper. Add lamb shanks to pot in a single layer, (add additional broth if needed so that shanks are about 3/4 submerged).
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Roast, uncovered, until tops of shanks have browned, about 30 min. Turn shanks over & roast 30 min longer.
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Cover & cook, turning shanks occasionally, until meat is fork-tender & almost falling off the bone, 45 min to 1 1/2 hrs (time will depend on size of shanks). Remove from oven & skim off fat from surface of sauce. Let shanks rest for at least 30 min. Lamb shanks can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover & keep chilled.
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While polenta bakes: discard fat from surface of lamb shank mixture & bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, & simmer gently, occasionally turning shanks & stirring sauce, until heated through, about 20 min. If large shanks, shred meat, if small serve whole.
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Preheat broiler. Broil polenta, until golden, 5-7 min. Serve immediately for soft polenta, for firm let rest for 30 min.