Lamb Osso Bucco
Texan chef Mark Paul's exclusive recipe for the traditional, slow-cooked Italian favorite replaces veal shanks with lamb, offering up a warming dish that's sure to elicit more than a few smiles!
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp grape seed oil
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 8 pieces lamb foreshank, each cross-cut into 2-inch-thick pieces and tied around middle with butcher's twine (5-oz each, including bone; ask your butcher to cut across the shank)
- 1 to 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper, divided
- 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
- 2/3 cup peeled and finely chopped carrots
- 2/3 cup finely chopped celery
- 1/4 tsp finely chopped garlic
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium veal or lamb stock (or low-sodium chicken broth)
- 1 1/2 cups boxed or jarred coarsely chopped Italian-style tomatoes with juices
- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 4 leaves fresh basil, optional
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 to 3 sprigs fresh parsley
Herbed couscous
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced sweet onion
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup unsweetened golden raisins
- 1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
- 1/2 tsp chopped fresh marjoram
- 1/2 tsp minced fresh mint
- 2 cups couscous
- 2 tbsp organic butter, softened
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a heavy Dutch oven or roasting pan with a tight-fitting lid, heat grape seed oil on medium-high. (NOTE: Use a Dutch oven that’s just large enough to hold the lamb pieces in a single layer.) On a wide plate, spread flour. Season lamb with salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, then dredge each piece in flour, shaking off any excess. Add lamb to Dutch oven and brown on all sides for 8 to 10 minutes; transfer lamb to a clean plate, uncovered.
- Reduce heat to medium and add onion, carrots and celery. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables brown and soften slightly. Add garlic when vegetables are nearly softened. Add wine and bring to a boil; boil briskly for about 3 minutes, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from bottom of Dutch oven. Add stock and return to a boil. Add tomatoes and their juices, thyme, basil, bay leaves, parsley and remaining 1/4 tsp pepper. Simmer for 1 minute on medium; remove from heat.
- Skim any fat from top of vegetable-wine mixture. Place pieces of lamb side by side in Dutch oven among vegetables and liquid. (NOTE: The liquid should come up to the top of the pieces but shouldn’t cover lamb. If necessary, add a bit of additional stock or water.) Place Dutch oven on medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cover pot tightly and transfer to middle rack in oven. Cook for about 2 hours, checking lamb every 30 minutes and basting as needed so exposed areas do not dry out. (TIP: USDA guidelines suggest a minimum internal temperature of 145°F for lamb. Temperatures during a braise will actually exceed that level, but when braised correctly, meats will remain cooked through without any loss of moisture.)
- Meanwhile, prepare herbed couscous: In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil on medium. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft. Stir in broth and raisins and bring to a boil. Add thyme, rosemary, marjoram and mint; immediately stir in couscous. Cover and remove from heat; let sit for 10 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork; stir in butter and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.
- Divide couscous among serving plates. Remove string from lamb shanks and arrange over top of couscous, dividing evenly. Remove and discard bay leaves. Top lamb with vegetable-sauce mixture, dividing evenly, and serve.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size 4 to 4 1/2 oz lamb, 1/2 cup couscous, 1/4 cup vegetable-sauce mixture
- Calories 650
- Carbohydrate Content 19 g
- Cholesterol Content 135 mg
- Fat Content 19 g
- Fiber Content 10 g
- Protein Content 53 g
- Saturated Fat Content 6 g
- Sodium Content 520 mg
- Sugar Content 10 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 4 g