Who Knew That Cute Animals Were So Tasty?

It just sounds so rustic (and I sound so snotty when I say it that way). I mean it in the best possible sense though.

I've had lamb chops and lamb sausage and ground lamb but I've never actually eaten a shank. It looks exactly like it sounds, like the wee leg of an animal and that was a little weird. I'm not normally squeamish about this sort of thing, I know where my food comes from and this wouldn't be the first time that I've eaten something vaguely recognizable (wouldn't be the first time this week for that matter. Ribs, anyone?) but this was almost too much.

I bought two packages of three spring lamb shanks and decided to just divide the recipe since I'd never tried it before. I was a little spoiled for choice for recipes but I decided to start at the source and I went to the New Zealand Lamb website as they're the ones that packaged it up in the first place. These are the changes that I made though (unless otherwise noted, the amounts were just halved from the original recipe).

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

3 New Zealand Spring Lamb shanks
1/3 c cooking oil (that was the original amount)
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 c chopped celery
1 carrot, sliced
1 T VE Focaccia Seasoning (this was originally 1/4 t garlic powder and 1/2 t rosemary)
1 t rosemary (okay, this wasn't in the original at all)
1 bay leaf (that was the original amount, I picked a small one this time)
1 beef bouillon cube (that was the original amount because what fool is going to split a bouillon cube)
1/2 c boiling water
100 ml tomato sauce
2 T flour
2 T flour (originally 1/3 c)

I kept the oil the same because lamb shanks are incredibly lean on most of their surface and they stuck to the pan like nothing. Saute the shanks in oil till browned. Set aside. Saute vegetables in the oil in the pan for about 5 minutes or until they get all aromatic and lovely. Add the seasoning. (The original recipe called for dissolving the bouillon cube in the boiling water but mine were still fairly fresh and crumbly so I just crumbled it straight into the pot and added the water with the tomato sauce.) I deglazed with about a quarter cup of red wine and that wasn't called for but I like the flavor that wine adds to a slow cook like this. Stir in the tomato sauce and nestle the shanks into the boiling mixture. Cover tightly and simmer for 2 hours or until tender - stir occasionally (I went and turned the shanks over at about the halfway point). Stir together the flour and water until smooth. Remove the bay leaf and add the flour to the sauce. Cook until thickened.

I served it over couscous because it was the fastest thing to make. It was gobsmackingly delicious. Meag ate an entire bowlful of couscous to catch all of the amazing sauce. If lambs are this tasty, next I'm hunting wabbits.