Buttermilk Braised Lamb Shanks
T-minus 5 days 'till my book's b-day!
On Monday, I went to Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn to sign copies of my cookbook, then headed to the offices of Penguin Random House to sign even more. The years I spent working on this book felt never-ending, yet this day totally snuck up on me. My book will officially be out on Halloween, just five days away. It took me nearly a year to finalize the outline. I had countless calls with my editor to discuss the recipes, title, and even the index. There was endless back and forth with the production team to ensure that every one of the hundreds of process shots got cropped, edited, and placed just right. And after all that, I totally forgot to practice a signature.
Okay, I have a signature. But my real one, the one I use to sign official documents, looks like I sneezed with a pen in hand. I hoped to practice a pretty loopy signature for you all. One with legible letters and everything! Instead I scribbled on a bunch of books. A couple were so bad I had to cover it up with a doodle. Let’s just call those copies the lucky ones.
I thought seeing stacks of my book would make me feel happy or proud, but I don’t feel a whole lot. Instead, I’ve been focused on the next book, probably to distract myself from feeling feelings (I hate those things). I’m sure it’ll hit when I see the book in the wild on Tuesday. And to help things along, I’ll do what I usually do—cook a big fancy meal.
PS: You can preorder a signed copy from Greenlight or Now Serving, or grab one when you see me in person at Union Square Barnes & Noble on pub day.
book baby celebration lamb
One way I’ve always marked special occasions is with a big meal. Growing up, that usually meant lamb, whether a roasted leg, braised shanks, or in a massive biryani. My mom’s lamb is rich and decadent, marinated with yogurt and warms spices, like cardamom and nutmeg, before roasting or braising it with nuts and dried fruit.
Ham’s stepmother, who is Iranian, also celebrates with lamb. Her lamb is bright and herby, packed with dill used two ways: once added early on, so it simmers with the meat until melted and earthy, with a final hit of the fresh sprigs at the end. Persian cuisine uses herbs better than any other culture, treating them like vegetables and generously dispersing them.
These lamb shanks are inspired by both my mom’s and Ham’s stepmom’s lamb, so we get all the party in one dish. The shanks are simmered in tangy buttermilk with sweet dried cherries, lots of dill, and spiked with chili. The meat gets wiggly tender as the buttermilk caramelizes into a rich sauce that’s tart and earthy with a bit of heat and sweet to balance it all out. Cooking lamb can feel intimidating because of its hefty price tag, but shanks are actually super forgiving because they are a tough cut that can handle lots of simmering.
tips to ensure shank success
If you’ve got time, dry brine! Yes, even with a moist cooking method like braising, there are huge benefits to dry brining. The exterior will become dry, so it’s easier to develop a deep sear on the shanks; the fat and collagen start breaking down from the salting, so the meat will become tender faster; and it makes it harder to overcook and dry out the meat. By dry brining, you’re giving yourself a wider margin for error, but if you need to braise today, it’s totally okay to skip it. To dry brine, sprinkle the shanks all over with salt, set them on a wire rack on a sheet tray in the fridge, and leave uncovered for around. 24 hours.
Be patient when you sear Developing a deep sear on your shanks takes longer than you think. Don’t be tempted to crank the heat, which will result in uneven browning and risk burning your fond. (Fond are all those tasty, precious brown bits on the bottom of the pan.) Stick with medium to medium-high heat, turn the shanks frequently, and take your time. This step develops tons of meaty flavor.
Trust the process After you first add the buttermilk, it will break into curds and whey. Don’t panic! Once the collagen from the shanks melt into the braising liquid, it will emulsify the sauce into a thick gravy.
Buttermilk Braised Lamb Shanks
serves 4 to 6 | active time: 45 minutes | total time: at least 3 hours
INGREDIENTS
4 meaty lamb shanks (about 5 pounds)
Kosher salt
Neutral oil
1 medium yellow onion
6 scallions
6 garlic cloves
1 bunch fresh dill
1 teaspoon chili flakes
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 quart buttermilk
½ cup dried cherries
Freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup roasted & salted pistachios, chopped
Pat the shanks dry with paper towels and generously season all over with salt.
If you have time, arrange on a wire rack set into a sheet tray, and dry brine for up to 36 hours.
If you don’t have time, proceed after seasoning.
Heat a braiser, medium Dutch oven, or large skillet with high sides over medium heat. Add enough oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan and sear the shanks (in batches if needed, turning frequently, and adding more oil as needed) until deeply browned all over, about 20 minutes. Remove from pan.
While the lamb shanks sear:
Peel and slice the onion.
Thinly slice one scallion on the bias and reserve for garnish; thinly slice the remaining crosswise.
Peel and chop the garlic.
Reserve one large handful of dill springs for garnish; roughly chop the rest.
After searing the shanks, discard any excess fat, leaving just enough to coat the bottom of the pan generously. Add the onions and scallions, and increase the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any brown bits stuck to the pan, until the wilted and browned at the tips and edges, 5 to 8 minutes.
Add the garlic, chili flakes, and turmeric and cook, stirring frequently, until aromatic, about 1 minute.
Add the buttermilk, dill, cherries, lots of freshly ground black pepper, and a big pinch of kosher salt, and bring to a boil (the buttermilk will break—that’s what you want).
Return the shanks to the pot, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally and flipping the shanks once, until totally tender and falling off the bone, 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours. (If you dry-brined the shanks, they will become tender faster.) The sauce will reduce, caramelize, and thicken. If at any point the pan becomes dry, add water.
Garnish with reserved scallion, dill, and chopped pistachios. Serve with rice or bread.
Is this recipe going to be in you new book?
Made this for dinner last night- unbelievable! I had to sub currents for cherries but would probably use raisins or hunt down dried cherries next time. The lamby rice under the shank was 💯💯💯💯💯💯💯!