Manischewitz Braised Lamb Shank
Recipe inspired by the book “The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay” by Michael Chabon
In the immemorial style of young men under pressure, they decided to lie down for a while and waste time.
After lunch, they did the impossible; nothing. Sammy or Joe couldn’t think of bupkes, so Sammy took Joe to meet some friends who would be able to help with the comic strip and so added 3 wise guys that also couldn’t come up with a story line. Well at least one of the guys had a place to set up shop, an outdated warehouse turned odd, loft-type apartments. Excitedly but soon to be disappointed, they ran up the stairs to a dingy, empty open space. The troupe headed back outside to find anything to furnish the small place. After a while, Sammy and Joe had managed to schlep a saggy couch and shlocky drawing table all the way up to the 5th floor. Perhaps the gang should have hit the pages but by this time, it was getting on about dinner time and the boys were feeling peckish.
The place came with an oven and giant pot sitting unused in a corner so Joe was sent out to find some meat from the butcher around the corner. Ah, lamb shank! Perfect for a carnivorous bunch of young men with no money, and for that matter no silverware. The boys sat about drinking wine, smoking, and telling tall tales of female conquests (that may or may not have happened) while the shanks bubbled quietly away, soaking in the only cooking liquid the culinary heathens had: sweet red wine. The 3 “hired” help were slowly forgetting why they had come together in the first place, but Sammy and Joe both had the comic strip very firmly in tied to all of their thoughts, like a lifeline that kept them anchored to the shore. While noshing on the lamb, practically jumping off the bone, an idea hit Sam like a lightning strike. Zap! Boom! Pow!
Manischewitz Braised Lamb
Ingredients
- 1 lamb shank around 1 lb
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ c matzo meal
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil (or any neutral flavored oil)
- ¾ c Manischewitz wine
- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp chopped fresh mint
Instructions
-
Take a large piece (about 1 ½ feet) of heavy duty foil and fold it in half and set aside.
-
Heat a small cast iron skillet on medium high for 5-10 minutes.
-
Sprinkle the salt and matzo meal all over the shank and set aside while the pan heats.
-
Add the oil and heat for about 30 seconds, turn down to medium.
-
Add the shank, turning a quarter turn about every 3 minutes until all sides are golden brown.
-
Put the shank on the foil and fold up the sides to almost completely cover the lamb and pour in the wine and lemon juice, then seal up the packet and place the whole packet back in cast iron pan and put in oven.
-
Braise at 325 ℉ for 2 ½ hours, then pull out the shank and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
-
Garnish with the fresh mint and the juice as gravy. Mazel tov!
Recipe Notes
Note: This recipe can easily be doubled or quadrupled using a heavy dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid instead of foil.
WhitBit's Kitchen
April 28, 2016It took me a minute to figure out what was happening here with this post. Sorry, first timer here. Then I read the blurb on your sidebar. Aaah, now I get it! Really cool concept! I love Manischewitz, and I can only imagine the flavors it gave the lamb shanks!
laughingspatula
April 28, 2016Such a cute blog! I know nothing about lamb…really, cooked it once, everyone liked it. Never did it again…this however, could prompt me to give it another try!
Ali @ Home & Plate
April 28, 2016I love lamb but not everyone in my family enjoys it so I always order it when out. Your recipe looks fantastic.
mommyhoodsdiary
April 28, 2016I love lamb!! Your recipe sound simple to make and super delicious. Bookmarking to try later.
Mica
May 5, 2016Thank you! And yes, it’s pretty easy to make!
Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen (@BobbisKozyKtchn)
April 28, 2016I am always looking for new ways to cook lamb and this sounds deelish!!
Mica
May 5, 2016Thanks Bobbi!
Fuss Free Helen
May 5, 2016Lovely recipe. I’ve not had Manischewitz so need to go and learn about it. For some reason lemon always makes lamb so much better – lifts the flavour and cuts through the fat.
sprinklesandsprouts
May 5, 2016I actually have lamb shanks in the fridge! They were on special yesterday so I grabbed 4 for the weekend.
I was planning to make a greek inspired dish, but this looks so sensational that I really want to try this.
We don’t get matzo meal here though, what would you suggest as an alternative? Or do you think it would change the recipe too much?
Love it!
Shelby
May 5, 2016I have never made lamb myself – but this looks delicious and I think I would definitely give it a try!
Mica
May 5, 2016Shelby!
Give it a try and tell us what you think!
Christie
May 5, 2016Love how you incorporated a book with a meal. Very clever and such fun not to mention an absolutely delicious recipe
Mica
May 5, 2016Thank you Christie!
Melissa
May 5, 2016What a wonderful idea to cook a recipe inspired by a book! I love it. And now I think I need to try and cook lamb because this looks delicious!
Mica
May 5, 2016Melissa,
Thanks so much! Lamb is fun to cook with, and great if you need to take a break from chicken or beef or fish. I hope you enjoy!
Brian Jones
May 6, 2016Lamb shanks are wonderful and it looks like you have these cooked to perfection… Quick question though, what is Manischewitz wine and what could I use as a substitute?