PREP: Mise the recipe ahead of time.

1. Preheat an oven to 325°F.

2. Fabricate the aromatic vegetables:

• Fine-chop the onion.
• Peel the celery and carrots, and cut them into rough dice a little larger than ¼ inch.
• Mince 1 clove of garlic.
• Peel and lightly crush the other clove of garlic. If prepping ahead, place it in a small container or plastic bag.

3. Trim and truss the lamb shanks:  You can review the process photos in the cooking lesson part of this recipe post or click the link to my YouTube video.

• Wipe the lamb shanks dry with paper towels.
• Use a sharp boning knife to trim off any exterior fat and remove the thick outer layer of silverskin (connective tissue) on each shank.
• Use kitchen twine to truss each shank, looping the twine tightly around the thick end, the center, and the narrow end as illustrated.

4. Braise the lamb shanks:

• Place a sauté pan (preferably carbon steel) over medium heat and wait for it to get hot.
• Squeeze in about half of the step 4 oil, and swirl the pan so that oil coats the bottom surface and partway up the sides of the pan.
• Season the shanks with salt and then add them to the pan. Sauté the shanks, turning them so that all surfaces become golden brown, for a total of about 3 minutes cooking time.
• Transfer the shanks to an oval-shaped Dutch oven or a deep rectangular casserole or baking pan.
• Add the remaining oil and the onions. Sauté, stirring and scraping to lift the sucs (browned bits of protein) from the surface of the pan. Sauté for about 1 minute until the onions are lightly browned.
• Add the celery and carrots, and sauté for about 1 minute longer.
• Add the minced garlic and flour, and sauté for a few seconds to make a light brown roux.
• Stir in the stock, tomatoes, sage, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then season it lightly with salt.
• Pour the sauce over the lamb shanks and cover the Dutch oven. Bring the contents to a boil, and then place it in the oven. Braise for 30 minutes.
• Turn the shanks over, baste them with some sauce, re-cover the pan, and continue braising for about 20 minutes longer until the shanks are tender. (A knife inserted into the meat will meet little resistance.)
• If prepping ahead, cool to room temperature and refrigerate the shanks in their sauce.

5. Trim and fabricate the kale:

• Fold each kale leaf in half lengthwise, smooth-side-out, and then pull upward on the stem to remove both stem and the thick vein.
• Wash the kale in cool water and shake it dry.
• Cut the kale into pieces about 1 inch wide and 3 inches long.
• If prepping ahead, place the kale in a plastic bag with a folded paper towel in the bottom.

6. Assemble the remaining ingredients.

HOLD: Refrigerate all ingredients up to 5 days.  Freeze the ciabatta.

COOK! Finish and plate your dinner.

7. Preheat an oven to 400°F.

8. Reheat the lamb shanks in their sauce:

• If you prepped ahead, return the lamb shanks and sauce to the Dutch oven. Place the Dutch oven over a burner and bring the sauce to the boil. Then place it in the oven and bake for about 10 minutes until the shanks are hot through and the sauce is gently simmering.

9. Braise the kale:

• Place a sauté pan over medium heat and wait for it to get hot.
• Add the step 9 oil and the crushed garlic clove. Sauté the garlic for a few seconds to lightly brown it, and then turn it over to brown the other side.
• Add the kale and a little salt, turning and packing down the kale so that it wilts and becomes coated with oil.
• Add the water and cover the pan. Braise on medium heat, turning the kale occasionally, for about 3 minutes until it becomes tender.

10.  Toast the ciabatta:

• Cut the loaf into a 3-oz portion for each person.
• Place the ciabatta in the oven and set a timer for 5 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature.

11. Assemble the beans:

• Remove the lamb shanks to a sizzle pan or small tray, cover them with aluminum foil, and place them on the back of the stove.
• Evaluate the consistency of the sauce. It should be lightly thickened and concentrated: if too thick, thin it with a little stock or water; if too thin, reduce it over high heat, stirring constantly.
• Drain off about half of the liquid from the beans, and then add the beans and their remaining liquid.
• Stir gently over medium heat to coat the beans with the sauce and bring the mixture to a simmer.
• Evaluate the flavor and, if necessary, add a bit more salt.

12. Chop the parsley.

13. Plate:

• Use sanitized kitchen scissors to cut off and remove the trussing string from each lamb shank.
• Ladle a portion of beans into the center of each wide, shallow bowl or oval plate.
• Remove the garlic clove from the kale, and then place a mound of kale on the beans at the back right of each bowl.
• Place a lamb shank diagonally on top of the beans, with the small end propped against the kale, in each bowl behind the lamb shank.
• Plant the ciabatta section upright at the back of each bowl between the kale and the lamb shank.
• Scatter a line of parsley across each bowl.
• Pass a pepper mill at the table.