May DOTM: Pomegranate Braised Lamb Shanks

Usually lamb is quite a tricky dish. I know most people don't like the gaminess of lamb but the trick is to create a sauce that is bold enough to stand up to the gaminess of the lamb, while retaining the essence of why you are having lamb to begin with.

I love the sweet tanginess of this pomegranate balsamic sauce - a perfect accompaniment to tender-but-not-falling-apart lamb shanks. We even toasted more bread to soak up them sauce.

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

• 4 pounds lamb shanks (3 to 6 shanks, preferably all about the same size) 
• Salt to taste 
• 1/4 cup canola, peanut, or vegetable oil 
• 1 sweet onion, sliced 
• 2 carrots, chunks 
• 2 cups (one 16-ounce bottle) pomegranate juice 
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar, or to taste 
• 4 large garlic cloves, crushed with the back of a knife 
• 3 to 4 sprigs fresh rosemary (about 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves) 
• 1 teaspoon honey, or to taste 
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste 

1. Preheat oven to 250° F, and position an oven rack in the middle. In a large, deep-sided, oven-safe pan (like a sauté pan, braiser, or Dutch oven), heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Season the lamb shanks generously with salt, then brown them very well on all sides. Transfer the shanks to a plate and set aside in a baking tray. If there is excess oil in the pan, pour off all but about 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pan. 
2. Lower the heat under the pan to medium. Add onion and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes, or until the onion is starting to soften. Add pomegranate juice, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits. Add balsamic vinegar, garlic cloves, rosemary sprigs, and bring the liquid to a boil.
3. Pour the sauce into the baking dish that contains the lamb shanks. Cover the pan with a lid or aluminum foil. Bake for about 3 to 3 1/2 hours (depending on the size of your shanks), until the meat is very tender and almost-but-not-quite falling off the bone. I left mine in the oven for 3 hrs.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and let stand, covered, for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 150° F. Transfer the lamb shanks to a serving platter or a rimmed baking sheet, and cover with aluminum foil. Place the shanks in the oven to keep warm. 
5. Strain the braising liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a measuring cup or small bowl, and discard the solids. Pour the liquid into a small saucepan (or wipe out the pan you cooked the lamb in, and use that). Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Add honey and black pepper, then let the liquid reduce for 5 to 10 minutes, or until it’s the consistency you like. Taste and add more salt, vinegar, and/or honey as you see fit.
6. Remove the lamb shanks from the oven and spoon over the reduced braising liquid. Serve warm and dig in!

Note: I used 6 lamb shanks and placed 3 in each baking dish as my dish wasn't big enough.