Food Pairing: Layer Cake Shiraz

Layer Cake Wines are 100 Percent Pure

Lamb Shanks

Lamb in general and Syrah/Shiraz are great friends as it pertains to food pairing. It’s not a given, it’s a certainty. So when I got a call today from a friend in Washington, D.C. about what to drink with Layer Cake Shiraz, I thought I’d share the recipe for lamb shanks I passed along to my amigo.

Technique:

Lamb Shanks pair so well with Layer Cake Shiraz

I think it would be appropriate to start with dealing with the braising technique I suggested for the Lamb Shanks. Realize braising is the art of taking what can be a tough meat product with a bone often in the middle (i.e. Osso Bucco/Beef Short Ribs) and ‘over cooking’ it in a highly seasoned braising liquid. The idea is really to cook the product so long that it gives all of its juices to the broth and then becomes so dry that it actually reabsorbs this unbelievable stock to become very tender and fall off the bone. Braising as a technique is one that many chefs use world wide to minimize expense of their protein and maximize the flavors. For the home chef it’s also a great technique for preparing the night prior for a dinner and being able to ‘control’ the outcome of your meal be reheating your short ribs, Osso Bucco or Lamb Shanks in their broth to serve. This recipe is going to be essentially in three steps which will entail:

~ seasoning the lamb shanks and then searing them to seal the meat before braising
~ creating a braising liquid
~ braising the lamb shanks

Mis en Place

~ Stock pot, dutch oven or any pot that you have that will hold the liquid and the lamb shanks when you put in the oven.
~ x2 Saute Pans or one very big rondou

Ingredients:

4 Lamb Shanks
5-6 Carrots
4 Heads of Garlic
3 Onions
Fresh Ginger (6-8 oz)
Chicken Stock
Beef Stock
Half a bottle of Layer Cake Shiraz (because you drank a few glasses while you were cooking)
Olive Oil
Tomato Paste, ketchup or crushed tomatoes (essentially any tomato product will work)
Seasoned Flour (you season the flour, it doesn’t come that way)

Aromatics:
Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Cardomom
Cinnamon
Smoked Paprika
Cumin

Step 1. Twist Cap off of Layer Cake Shiraz and pour yourself a glass (repeat if and when necessary, but save enough to deglaze your pans)

Lamb Shanks:

~ Preheat your oven to 375F
~ Open cans of chicken stock and beef stock

Step I. Braising Liquid

To prepare so everything goes smoothly, rough chop your braising solution mirepoix (i.e. carrots, onion, garlic and ginger). You aren’t building a watch, so it’s not imperative to make everything beautiful. Essentially you want each item to be the same size so they cook at a similar rate. Place your stock pot/dutch oven on a medium to high flame and add enough olive oil to begin cooking your mirepoix (carrots, onion, garlic and ginger). You’ll want to watch this and allow it to go slowly because the idea is to maximize the flavors of each component. To quote a chef I worked for many years ago, “slow cooking is good cooking”…you’ll know you are doing the right thing as the scent perfumes your kitchen.

As you begin to obtain color on your mirepoix and the scent becomes heavenly, add some tomato product of your choice. Ketchup or tomato paste are my choices; you just add enough to mix into the mirepoix. No more than 6oz total. Allow the tomato to cook for three to five minutes with your mirexpoix, then deglaze with Layer Cake Shiraz. As much as you like, but allow for the wine to reduce and absorb into your mirepoix.

Then add stock: I prefer the ratio of 2/3rd chicken stock to 1/3rd beef stock. It’s like faking lamb stock and easier than adding this step. The shanks are going to cook in this solution which will be very effective in flavoring the broth.

Bring your solution to a boil and simmer on a burner. DO NOT TURN OFFthe lamb shanks will need to go into the hot broth and then into the oven.

Step II. Lamb Shanks

Season some AP flour with Salt, Black Pepper, Cumin, Cinnamon, Cardamom and Smoked Paprika. (the only essential parts of this are the flour, salt and pepper…you can omit any flavor your desire). Then roll the shanks in the flour and tap each one lightly so it’s not more than a coating.

Heat your saute pans to HIGH (don’t over crowd the pans…use two if necessary for all four shanks) and add 1/8th of an inch of olive oil to each. This process requires more oil than normal because you will be ‘frying’ the flour on the outside of the shanks which tends to absorb some oil.

Sear each shank completely so the color is golden brown all the way around then remove from the pans. By this time; your broth should be rolling, not boiling and smelling fantastic.

Step III, Braising (3hrs)

The lamb shanks need to be 3/4′s covered with braising solution to start. So drop your seared shanks into the broth and then place in the oven.
~ If you have a cover for your casserole, dutch oven or pot…you can cover but, it’s not imperative.

I tend to check the lamb shanks every hour or so. The way you know they are done is when the meat is EASILY pulled off the bone; there’s no set time, but, 3 hours seems to be right around accurate.

When you are satisfied that the shanks are cooked, strain off a little bit of your braising solution and reduce it down into sauce consistency and add just a little bit of butter to finish.

Then serve with polenta, cous cous, sweet potato or mashed potatoes…