Lamb Shanks with Butternut Squash

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin 
• 4 pound lamb shanks 
• 4 servings salt and pepper freshly ground
• 1 Cloves from an head of garlic entire separated unpeeled
• 6 rib celery coarsely chopped
• 4  carrots coarsely chopped
• 1 large onion coarsely chopped
• 0.5 cup tomato paste 
• 3 cups cooking wine dry red
• 6 cups chicken stock see gluten-free for version (use stock )
• 6 inch orange zest 
• 3 pounds butternut squash peeled cut into 1 inch cubes
• 0.3 cup .5 can cannellini beans cooked drained ( 1 15 ounce can, )
• 4 tablespoons parsley chopped
• 4 cloves garlic minced peeled
• 4 teaspoons lemon zest finely grated

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• oven
• pot
• sieve
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Brown the shanks on all sides:
2. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large thick-bottomed Dutch oven pot. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper, add them to the casserole and brown well on all sides, working in batches if necessary, about 8 minutes.
3. Transfer the shanks to a plate.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F and arrange two racks in the oven, one to hold the Dutch oven pot and one to hold a baking sheet with the squash.
5. Sauté celery, carrots, onion, unpeeled garlic, add tomato paste, add wine:
6. Add the unpeeled garlic cloves, celery, carrots and onion to the pot. Cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
7. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until glossy, about 2 minutes.
8. Add the wine; boil over high heat until the liquid is very syrupy, about 15 minutes.
9. Add shanks, stock, simmer until lamb is tender: Return the shanks to the pot and add the stock and orange zest. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and braise the shanks in the oven for about 2 to 3 hours, until the meat is very tender. Turn the shanks from time to time as they cook.
10. Roast butternut squash: While the shanks are cooking, roast the butternut squash. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the squash with the remaining 2 Tbsp of olive oil.
11. Season with salt and pepper and bake in the oven (along with the lamb) for about an hour, or until tender.
12. Make the gremolata: In a small bowl, mix the minced garlic with the parsley and lemon zest (the "gremolata"). Set aside.
13. Remove shanks from pot, strain vegetables from sauce:
14. Remove the shanks from the oven and transfer to a plate. Pass the sauce through a coarse strainer, pressing hard on the vegetables. Discard the vegetable pulp. Skim the fat from the surface of the sauce.
15. Combine sauce, shanks, squash, and beans: Return the sauce to the pot, season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil over moderately high heat.
16. Add the lamb shanks and squash; simmer just until warmed through.
17. Add the cannellini beans, cover and remove from heat.
18. Let stand for a few minutes to allow for the flavors to blend.
19. Spoon the vegetables and sauce into large shallow bowls and set the lamb shanks on top.
20. Garnish with the gremolata and serve.