Braised Lamb Hocks with Roasted Vidalia Onions and Butter Beans
Chef Gerry Klaskala uses lamb shanks as “hocks,” cutting each shank in two, and braises them like osso buco in a rich herbed wine stock. The wonderful onions could appear as a side dish with many meats; likewise, the butter beans and vegetables. The onions can be cooked in the same oven as the lamb; allow an extra 10 minutes for them to be done.
Ingredients
- Lamb
- Lamb shanks - 4 spring, 4 spring lamb shanks, cut into eight 1-1/2-inch “hocks”
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Unsalted Butter - 3 tablespoons
- Carrots - 1/2 cup, minced
- Celery - 1/2 cup, minced
- Onion - 1/2 cup, minced
- Tomato - 1, peeled, seeded, and diced
- Head of garlic - 1, separated into cloves and peeled
- Tarragon Sprigs - 2
- Red Wine - 2 cups
- Lamb stock - 3 cups
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Onions
- Vidalia or other sweet onions - 6 small, 1-1/2- to 2-inches in diameter
- Unsalted Butter - 1 tablespoon
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Butter Beans
- Chicken Stock - 1 cup
- Salt to taste
- Baby Carrots - 12
- Butter beans - 1 cup, shelled
- English Peas - 1/2 cup, shelled
- Spring (green) onions - 12
- Unsalted Butter - 1 tablespoon
- Freshly ground pepper
- Tarragon for garnish - 1 bunch
Instructions
To prepare the lamb and sauce: Preheat the oven to 325 F. Season the hocks with salt and pepper. Tie butcher’s twine around the waist of each to hold the shape. Heat the olive oil in a heavy ovenproof roasting pan over medium heat, then add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Brown the lamb hocks, turning as needed to deeply brown all sides, 10 to 12 minutes total. Remove the lamb and set aside, keeping it warm. Pour off the oil. Put the remaining tablespoon of butter in the pan and melt over medium heat. Put the carrots, celery, and onions in the skillet and saute 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the tomato, garlic, and tarragon and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by one-third. Add the lamb stock. Return the lamb to the pan on top of the vegetables and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cover the pan with two layers of foil and bake 2 to 2-1/2 hours, or until tender. Remove the lamb and keep warm. Strain the pan juices and discard the solids. Pour the juices into a small sauce pan and cook over medium-low heat until reduced by one-third. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
To prepare the onions: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Leaving the skins on, cut the onions in half vertically. Melt the butter in an ovenproof saute pan or skillet large enough to hold all the onion halves. Sprinkle the pan with salt and pepper. Place the onions, cut-side down, on the pan and cook 30 to 35 minutes, until well colored and tender. Set aside and keep warm.
To prepare the butter beans: Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a sauce pan over medium heat. Add salt if desired and the carrots and cook for 5 minutes. Add the butter beans and cook for 12 minutes. Add the peas and cook for another 4 minutes. Add the spring onions and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat and drain. Swirl in the butter until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve: Make a bed of vegetables in the center of each plate. Place two lamb “hocks” on each warmed plate at noon and 6 o’clock. Place 2 roasted onion halves at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock on each plate, cut-side up. Drizzle lamb sauce over the lamb and around the plates. Garnish with tarragon sprigs.
