Chipotle Braised Lamb Shanks

Name: Chipotle Braised Lamb Shanks
Yield: makes 10 tacos
Ingredients: 2 (14-ounce) bone-in lamb shanks, silver skin trimmed away; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 4 cups lamb (or mushroom) stock; 1/2 ounce dried wild mushrooms (such as porcini), rehydrated (page 161); 1 dried pasilla de Oaxaca chile; 5 large dried pasilla negro chiles; 3 small carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice; 2 sprigs fresh thyme; 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed; 3 garlic cloves, dry-roasted (page 158); 10 (5 1/2-inch) soft white corn tortillas (page 13), for serving; Garnish: Sautéed mushrooms, caramelized onions

January 26, 2012

The meat from the shank is the tastiest part of the lamb. As lamb is a grazing animal and stands probably 90 percent of the time, the leg muscles get more developed and flavorful. Braised meats take a little more time to cook, but not much time to prepare. They’re really very simple and almost foolproof, and the end result is really luscious, flavorful meat. It takes a little longer, but you get the best results if you cook them at as low an oven temperature as possible—around 200°F. Serve these tacos with this richly flavored filling during the colder months, when appetites yearn for something earthy and substantial. Shredding the meat along the grain produces pieces that better retain both moisture and flavor. The meat is best eaten the day it is cooked. Place the meat back in the sauce to reheat.

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