8 American Lamb shanks
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chili powder
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
2 cups diced onions
2 cups diced carrots
2 cups diced celery
10 garlic cloves
2 cups white wine
6 cups stock
4 sprigs thyme
6 sprigs rosemary
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon butter
Mix flour, chili powder, salt and pepper together. Roll shanks in this flour mixture. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. In batches, sear shanks on all sides to brown; remove from pan. Repeat process adding more oil as needed. Add onions, carrots, celery and garlic; saute to brown. Add wine, stock, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Arrange shanks in two 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pans, placing 4 shanks in each pan. Divide vegetable mixture in Dutch oven between baking pans, pouring over shanks. Cover with foil; bake at 325 for 2 1/2 hours, turning shanks half way through. The meat should be very tender but still on the bone. Remove shanks and keep warm. Strain sauce and reduce by half. Add butter; stir until melted. Serve 4 shanks with Three-Bean Ragout (see recipe below) and a little pan sauce. Pull lamb meat from remaining 4 shanks, reserve for sliders.
Three Bean Ragout
3/4 cup uncooked white beans
3/4 cup uncooked black beans
3/4 cup uncooked cannellini beans
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and chopped
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
8 cloves garlic, sliced
3 jalapenos, diced
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Put all beans in a large pot, cover with cold water. Cover pot; soak beans for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and return to pot, adding bacon, thyme, oregano, stock, garlic and jalapenos. Cover with water. Bring to a boil for 2 hours, adding water as necessary. Season with salt and pepper.
