We made this at work yesterday. Braising is one of the easiest ways to cook - just a few simple steps, then set it and forget it. It is an awesome technique for any meat that requires long low and slow cooking - the kind that would be tough if you just roasted it.
Anyway, the steps for a basic braise are:
1. Season (heavily, with salt and pepper) and sear the meat over a high heat - this is best done in the pan in which you will be braising the meat. Get the pan
hot. Add a little oil and then the meat. Do not crowd the pan and do not move the meat until it is well browned. At that point, roll it to brown the other sides. Once the meat is browned, remove it from the pan and set aside.
2. Turn the heat down to medium, pour off most of the fat in the pan (discard) and add vegetables. The usual suspects are carrots, celery and onion (in a 1:1:2 ratio), cut into a 'dice' - good sized cubes, no need for accurate cutting here - the culinary term for this mix is 'mirepoix'. Cook the vegetables in the oil until browned.
3. Add a small amount of liquid to the pan and scrape the bottom while heating - this is called 'deglazing'. Most often the liquid is wine, but water or stock could also be used. Deglazing removes and dissolves the brown stuff on the bottom of the pan (culinary term: fond), which improves the flavor of the braising liquid and ultimately your meat.
4. Return the meat to the pan, then add more liquid (to just cover the meat) and suitable flavorings. This liquid could be stock water, wine or beer, and the flavorings usually include herbs and spices. Bring the braising liquid to a simmer. Cover and either keep on a very low heat on the stovetop, or (if your pan is oven-safe) place in a 300-325F oven.
5. Allow the braise to simmer until the meat is tender and falls away from the bone. The amount of time depends on the type and size of the meat, and usually is in the region of 1.5-4 hours.
So, returning to the lamb shanks. I usually deglaze with red wine, and then add lamb stock or the liquid from the last braise (if you have either - at work we braised several batches so we were able to reuse the braising liquid for the second batch), or water. For flavorings, I like to use lemon zest, black peppercorns (whole) and rosemary, and a bay leaf. I also add salt to my braising liquid (if you intend to reduce it later, be very sparing with the salt). I prefer to braise in the oven (it maintains a low simmer more effectively - boiling is bad for a braise), and I start checking the shanks after 3 hours.
Once your lamb shanks are braised, you can serve them over a suitable starch. Mashed potatoes are simple and soak up the braising liquid nicely. You can either serve the braising liquid as it is (but be aware - it will be fatty!), or you can thicken it a little (e.g. with roux - melt some butter in a pan, add an equal volume of flour and cook, stirring, until it turns light brown. Add to the sauce over the heat and stir with a whisk while bringing to a simmer. Simmer a few min.). The other option, if you are able to cook them the day before, is to remove the shanks from the braising liquid when done, strain the vegetables from the liquid (use your finest strainer), allow it to cool at room temperature for an hour or so, then chill it in the refrigerator. The next day, you'll be able to scrape the fat off the top of the braising liquid (this can be discarded). Reserve some of the liquid to reheat the shanks in (enough to cover them in a small pan), and reduce the rest - that is, bring to a boil and allow to boil until enough water evaporates so that it thickens a little. Taste and season carefully if necessary. Reheat the shanks gently in the reserved braising liquid and serve over the mashers with the reduced sauce.
The general technique for braising can be used for other meats. When I cook beef short ribs, I use mirepoix, red wine, beef stock, bay leaf, black peppercorns, coriander seeds and thyme as a base and braise for 4 hrs. Other examples of braises are Coq au Vin, Irish Beef Stew and Beef Burgundy.
