Lamb Shank Tagine

Time: 3 hours | Serves: 4–6 Nature: Very Warm | Flavor: Acrid, Salty, Sweet

Recipe Source: Travis Kern

Ingredients

  • 3 large lamb shanks, ~4.5 pounds
  • Salt and pepper
  • 6 cloves garlic, grated
  • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 tablespoon paprika
  • 2 teaspoons cumin, ground
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • Small pinch saffron
  • 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 2-inch cinnamon stick
  • 2 teaspoons ginger, dried and ground
  • 1/2 cup dates, chopped + 15 whole
  • 1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
  • Cilantro for garnish

Directions

  1. Preparation: Trim any excess fat from the lamb shanks and season generously with salt and pepper. Combine garlic, fresh ginger, paprika, and cumin and rub completely over the shanks. Leave at room temperature to season for at least one hour or overnight in the fridge. Pull from fridge for at least 1 hour before cooking if seasoned overnight.

  2. Build the Base: In a large dutch oven, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, saffron, and Aleppo pepper and sprinkle with salt. Cook for about 5 minutes until slightly softened. Stir in tomato paste and cook for another minute. Lower heat to medium, add seasoned shanks and cook with onions, turning occasionally until the meat is slightly browned, about 10 minutes.

  3. Let It Stew: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Add cinnamon stick, dried ginger, chopped dates, apricots, and enough water (or chicken broth) to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil, cover pot with a tight fitting lid and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes and then turn heat down to 350. Check sauce and add water or broth if the level of liquid is below the meat. Bake for another hour, checking liquid level occasionally. Once meat is tender and almost falling from the bone, remove from oven.

  4. Finish and Serve: Remove meat from pot and place in a deep serving bowl. Skim any surface fat from the sauce and add the whole dates. Bring to a simmer on the stove to reduce slightly. Pour sauce and dates over meat and garnish with pomegranate seeds and cilantro. Serve over rice or couscous.

About Aleppo Pepper and Saffron

Sometimes called Aleppo Chile, this pepper is a dried and crushed staple of Middle Eastern cooking. It has a moderate spice level with a pleasant fruity, raisin-like quality with an intensity that builds over time. Use it to achieve a nice, multidimensional heat. If you can't find Aleppo pepper, substitute chili flakes at 1/2 the quantity.

Saffron is made from the stigma and styles of the saffron crocus flower. Used as a vibrant yellow pigment as early as 50,000 BCE and as a spice for at least the last 3500 years, this ingredient is a potent and historical accompaniment to your cooking. Found in everything from paella to curry, the grassy and honey flavors of saffron contribute complexity to your food. Buying good quality saffron is expensive but only the good stuff is worth using. Check out www.cyrussaffron.com for some amazing domestically grown saffron.

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