Greek-Style Grass-Fed Lamb Shanks
This Easter, try making grass-fed lamb shanks fixed southern Greece-style, with lemon juice rather than tomato sauce.
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To offset the cost of grass-fed meats, substitute less expensive cuts-such as lamb shanks instead of leg of lamb.
Read more about the benefits of grassfed meat in the article A Cut Above.
Adapted from a recipe developed by Melissa’s mother, Helen Smith.
Ingredients
- 4 grass-fed lamb shanks
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced into slivers
- 4 Tbs. organic extra virgin olive oil
- Juice of 2 organic lemons, plus more if desired
- 1 Tbs. oregano
- Unrefined sea salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup water
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F degrees. Cut ½-inch slits in several places on both sides of shanks. Stuff garlic slivers into slits, lengthening or deepening as needed.
- Add olive oil to bottom of a deep, lidded, 12-inch heavy roasting pan, and heat on medium-high heat. Brown all sides of shanks.
- Pour lemon juice over shanks. Sprinkle with oregano, salt, and pepper on both sides, then pour water in between shanks.
- Cover pan, and bake 30 minutes. Remove from oven, remove cover, and flip shanks. Cover pan, and bake 2 hours more, flipping shanks every 30 minutes. Check meat for tenderness: it should easily pull off the bone and have a wonderful aroma. If it doesn’t, return to oven, 15-30 minutes, until done.
- Remove from oven, taste jus, and season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste. Serve with cooked vegetables and/or brown rice, and spoon jus over both shanks and side dishes.
Nutrition Information
- Calories 472
- Carbohydrate Content 3 g
- Cholesterol Content 120 mg
- Fat Content 36 g
- Protein Content 32 g
- Saturated Fat Content 12 g
- Sodium Content 121 mg
- Sugar Content 1 g