recipe: rosemary and red wine braised lamb shanks

we spent xmas in wine country, so it only seemed appropriate that we found a dinner that was entirely based around wine. and nothing says holidays like putting it on an adorable, tender little lamb. we had to improvise a little bit since we didn't have all of the cooking equipment / ingredients on hand in our tiny cabin, but even still this came out damn good. i used the Rosemary Braised Lamb Shanks recipe from allrecipes.com as a base, and scaled it back a bit since we were cooking for two. 

the flavors were fantastic, although the meat was slightly tough as we overcooked it a smidge. next time i'll make this either in a slow cooker, or roast it low & slow in the oven after searing the meat.  

ingredients list:

- 2 cups red wine

- 1 (12 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice

- 2 cups beef broth

- 2 lamb shanks

- salt and pepper to taste

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 1 shallot, diced

- 2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

- 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

- 5 cloves garlic, minced

to make: 

sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. cook shanks until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes, and transfer to a plate.

add onions and garlic to pot and saute until golden brown, about 10 minutes. stir in wine, tomatoes, and broth, and season with rosemary and thyme. return shanks to pot, spooning liquid over the meat and submerging it as best possible. bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. cover, and simmer until meat is tender, about 2 hours. 

when meat is done, remove the shanks to a platter and tent to keep warm, and simmer liquid about 20 minutes longer, until thick. pour the thickened sauce over the shanks and serve.