Earthy Braised Lamb Shanks

I guess I really like lamb + Pinot Noir. This was what I made to serve with the 2022 Hundred Suns Old Eight Cut Pinot Noir.

Ingredients

serves 4

• 4Tablespoons olive oil

• 1 onion, peeled and thinly sliced

• 2 red bell peppers, thinly sliced

• four 3/4- to 1-pound lamb shanks

• (gluten-free) flour mixed with 1 Tablespoon ground cardamom for dredging

• 2 to 3 Tablespoons whole grain mustard

• 2 cups coffee

• 1 Tablespoon honey

• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup

• freshly ground sea salt

• freshly ground pepper

• rice pilaf for serving

Procedure

Coat lamb shanks with flour and cardamom. Heat 3 Tablespoons olive oil in a heavy large Dutch oven over medium hear. Brown the shanks on all side. Remove from the pot and set aside. Pour in the remaining Tablespoon of olive oil and add in the onions and bell peppers, scraping up any brown bits of the lamb. Rub the shanks with mustard, massing the paste into the meat as much as possible before placing the shanks back into the pot. Pour in the coffee, honey, and maple syrup.

Bring to boil. Simmer for two hours until the lamb is almost tender. Uncover raise the heat and boil until liquid is reduced to sauce consistency, stirring and turning lamb shanks occasionally, approximately 30 minutes. The meat should be falling-off-the-bone tender! Season with salt and pepper to taste. To serve, spoon the sauce over the shanks.

I poured the 2022 Hundred Suns Old Eight Cut Pinot Noir with this and will be sharing tasting notes for the October #WinePW event.