Braised Lamb Shanks

My last post for the year ...  

Happy 2013 !

Ingredients:

6 lamb shanks 
2 pcs  streaky bacon, cut into pieces 
2 large onions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 celery stalks, cut into chunks
3 carrots, cut into chunks
4 potatoes, cut into chunks
1 small red capsicum, cut into chunks
2 ½ cups beef/chicken stock
2 cup red wine
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup passata
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 
½  tbsp brown sugar (or white sugar)
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
4 sprigs rosemary
salt & black pepper, to taste
olive
1 tbsp butter

• Season lamb shanks with ground black pepper and salt.
• Heat a frying pan until hot; add about 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan.  Fry the lamb shanks until browned all over.  Remove from the pan and arrange on a large ovenproof casserole dish.  
• Fry bacon pieces until brown.  Transfer into the casserole dish together with the lamb shanks.
• Add about 1 tbsp olive oil and butter to the pan and saute onion and garlic until just softened (not browned).  Add in all the vegetables and fry for about 2 minutes.  Transfer into the casserole dish.
• Deglaze the pan with wine.  Pour in stock, passata, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and worcestershire sauce.  Bring to the boil and season with brown sugar, salt and pepper.  Pour over the lamb shanks and vegetables and place rosemary sprigs on top.  Cover the casserole dish with a tight fitting lid.
• Cook in a preheated oven at 160°C for about 3 hours or until lamb is tender and falling off the bone.
• Remove the lid and sprigs of rosemary.  
• Carefully transfer the lamb shanks onto a warm serving platter.  
• Blend the vegetables and the juice together.  Pour the thick gravy over the lamb shanks and serve with mashed potatoes and green vegetables of your choice.