Braised Lamb

If you have time, salt and pepper the shanks the day before. If not, do it as much ahead of time as possible.

Preheat the oven to 325F. Heat a oven-proof, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Warm the oil and add the shanks, browning them well on all sides. Remove the shanks from the pan and pour out all but one tablespoon of oil. Add in the onion, carrots, garlic, thyme, peppercorns and bay leaf. Cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Then turn up the heat to high and add the white wine, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. After a minute, add the tomatoes. Bring to a boil and allow to cook down by half. Add the shanks back to the pan along with the chicken broth. Cover and place in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

While the lamb is cooking, make the gremolata. Combine the parsley, lemon zest, and garlic cloves. Set aside.

When the lamb falls off the bone, remove from oven, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Take shanks out of the pan and throw away the bones. Place the sauce in a food processor and pulse to create a rough puree. Pour over the lamb meat. Top with a tablespoon of gremolata.

I served this on top of polenta, but it would do just as well on a bed of mashed potatoes, braised greens, or in a bowl with a nice piece of bread to sop up the juices.