Lamb Shanks on Cannellini Beans

Ingredients

• 4 slices bacon 
• 2  bay leaves 
• 0.5 cup beef broth 
• 0.3 teaspoon pepper black
• 29 ounce tomatoes diced canned
• 1 cup cannellini beans beans dried white
• 2 cups carrots finely chopped
• 1 cup celery finely chopped
• 1.5 teaspoons rosemary dried
• 1 cup cooking wine dry red
• 4  garlic cloves sliced
• 4.5 pound lamb shanks trimmed
• 1 cup onion finely chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 

Equipment

• frying pan
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add lamb; cook 12 minutes, browning on all sides.
4. Remove from skillet.
5. Add carrot, onion, and celery to skillet; saut 3 minutes.
6. Add wine. Bring to a boil; cook 5 minutes. Stir in broth, rosemary, tomatoes, and bay leaves. Return lamb to skillet (skillet will be very full). Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 2 hours or until lamb is very tender, turning lamb once.
7. Remove lamb from skillet; bring liquid to a boil, and cook 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves.
8. Sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes.
9. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 hour.
10. Drain beans; place in Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until tender.
11. Drain.
12. Cook bacon in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp.
13. Remove bacon from Dutch oven, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in Dutch oven. Crumble bacon.
14. Heat drippings over medium-high heat.
15. Add garlic; saut 2 minutes or until golden. Stir in beans and bacon; remove from heat.
16. Divide beans evenly among 6 plates; arrange lamb on beans. Spoon sauce over lamb.
17. Garnish with rosemary sprigs, if desired.