Braised Lamb Shanks with Ginger and Five-Spice

Ingredients

• 1.5 teaspoons five spice powder chinese
• 4.5 tablespoons black bean garlic sauce 
• 6 servings rice white steamed
• 12  shiitake mushrooms dried
• 0.8 cup sherry dry
• 0.8 cup cilantro leaves fresh coarsely chopped
• 3  garlic clove peeled
• 3 inch ginger fresh peeled sliced
• 0.8 cup spring onion thinly sliced
• 6 pound lamb shanks fat trimmed
• 6 teaspoons vegetable oil; peanut oil preferred 
• 2.5 cups water boiling

Equipment

• food processor
• bowl
• frying pan
• baking sheet
• oven
• knife
• aluminum foil

Directions

1. Place mushrooms in bowl.
2. Pour boiling water over; let soak until mushrooms soften, at least 45 minutes and up to 4 hours. Strain mixture, reserving 1 1/2 cups soaking liquid.
3. Cut stems from mushrooms and discard; thinly slice caps.
4. With food processor running, add ginger and garlic and finely chop.
5. Add cilantro, black bean sauce, 2 teaspoons peanut oil, and five-spice powder. Process until paste forms, occasionally scraping down sides of work bowl. Using sharp knife, cut 5 small shallow slits into each lamb shank, spacing apart; rub generous 1 tablespoon black bean-cilantro paste into slits and all over surface of each shank. (Mushrooms and lamb shanks can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover mushrooms, soaking liquid and shanks separately and chill.)
6. Preheat oven to 325°F.
7. Cut six 18-inch squares of aluminum foil; place on work surface.
8. Place green onions and sliced mushroom caps in center of each foil square, dividing equally.
9. Heat remaining 4 teaspoons peanut oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add lamb shanks and cook until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch.
10. Place 1 lamb shank atop green onions and mushrooms on each foil square.
11. Pour reserved mushroom soaking liquid and Sherry into same skillet. Boil until liquid is reduced to 3/4 cup, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet, about 10 minutes. Spoon 2 tablespoons reduced liquid over each lamb shank, pulling up foil around shanks to prevent liquid from spilling out. Enclose shanks completely in foil, twisting foil to seal; place on large rimmed baking sheet.
12. Bake lamb shanks until very tender and meat almost falls off bones, about 2 hours. Open up foil packets; place each atop bowl of steamed rice, allowing diners to remove foil.
13. * Available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of supermarkets.** A blend of ground anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and ginger; available in the spice section of most supermarkets.
14. ** A blend of ground anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and ginger; available in the spice section of most supermarkets.