Serves 4
For the Marinade:
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 5 cloves garlic, gently smashed • ¾ tsp. salt • ½ tsp red pepper flakes • 5 sprigs thyme • 1 bay leaf • 4 whole cloves
For the Meat:
• 4 lamb shanks • 2 cups beef or vegetable stock (both recipes below) • 1 cup red wine • 1 tbsp. butter, cold
Recipe:
- Combine all the marinade ingredients and place in a sealed bag with the lamb shanks. Refrigerate from a few hours to overnight.
- Preheat the oven to 300⁰F
- Place the lamb shanks and all the herbs from the marinade in a roasting pan and pour the stock and the wine over them. Cover the pan first with parchment paper, then with aluminum foil over the paper, and cook for about 2 ½ hours or until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork.
- Transfer the lamb shanks to a serving platter and discard all the solids from the sauce Transfer the sauce to a saucepan, bring to a simmer, skim the fat from the top, and reduce by half. Remove from heat, whisk in the cold butter, and serve over the lamb shanks.
OPTIONAL: Serve with about 1 tablespoon of gremolata on top of each portion (recipe below).
Chubby Veal & Beef Stock
Makes 1 gallon
Ingredients:
• 2 lb. beef or veal knuckles or rib bones
• ⅓ cup olive oil • 3 carrots, roughly chopped • 2 onions, roughly chopped • 2 celery stalks, roughly chopped • 4 cups red wine • 2 gallons water, cold • 3 tbsp. tomato paste • 1 bunch parsley • 2 tbsp. salt • ½ tsp. whole black peppercorns
Recipe:
- Preheat the oven to 425⁰F.
- Toss the knuckles or rib bones with the olive oil and place in a large roasting pan with the carrots, onions, and celery. Roast for about 30 minutes in the oven.
- Transfer the entire contents of the pan to a large stockpot, add the wine, and reduce it on the stovetop over medium heat until it is almost gone. Add the water, tomato paste, parsley, salt and peppercorns and bring to a simmer over high heat. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer for about 3 hours, until the flavor is extracted from the bones and the liquid has been reduced by half.
- Skim any fat from the top, then strain the stock and freeze in pint bags fr easy use. It will last for up to a year in the freezer.
Vegetable Stock
Makes 1 gallon
Ingredients:
• 3 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 onions, roughly chopped • 2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped • 1 shallot, roughly chopped • 4 tomatoes, cut in half • 6 tbsp. olive oil • 1 bunch parsley • 2 tbsp. salt • ½ tbsp. whole black peppercorns • 2 gallons water
Recipe:
- Preheat the oven to 400⁰F.
- Put the carrots, onions, celery, shallots and tomatoes in a roasting pan with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Roast for 45 minutes.
- Transfer the vegetables to a large stockpot and add the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Turn the heat to high and sauté for about 10 minutes. Add the parsley, salt, peppercorns, and 2 gallons of water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, about 1-2 hours.
- Strain the stock and freeze in pint bags for easy use. It will last for up to a year in the freezer.
My Grandma’s Gremolata:
Ingredients:• 1 cup parsley, finely minced
• 4 small to medium cloves garlic, very finely minced • ½ cup lemon peel, finely minced • ¼ cup capers, finely minced • 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Recipe:
Mix all the gremolata ingredients together in a bowl and place the bowl in the refrigerator.
For more information on Fabio, and his newsletter "Fabio's Kitchen Academy," go to his website
Click here to get a copy of Fabio's new cookbook, "Fabio's Italian Kitchen."