James' Lamb Shanks with Beans
Submitted by rosalind
Lamb shank and bean casserole inspired by French cassoulet: garlic-studded shanks braised in red wine and beef stock, layered with beans, caramelized onions, and topped with bacon and golden breadcrumbs.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
8 hrsCOOK
3 hrsREADY
11 hrsThis is essentially a rustic cassoulet with lamb shanks standing in for the traditional duck and sausage. Dried beans (pinto, Great Northern, or pea beans all work) soak overnight and simmer with a clove-studded onion, bay, garlic, and salt to build a flavored base. The shanks get studded with slivered garlic, rubbed with rosemary, seared hard, and braised an hour in red wine and beef stock until the meat pulls from the bone.
Everything layers into a big casserole: beans, caramelized onions, shanks, more beans, braising liquid. Strips of bacon go on top so they render into the beans below, then a golden shower of breadcrumbs dotted with butter finishes the top in the oven. Long, slow, and completely worth the day it takes.
Pro Tips
- Change the bean soaking water at least once as directed. This removes the compounds that cause digestive distress and gives you cleaner-tasting beans.
- Sear the shanks hard before braising. A proper Maillard crust is where 80% of this dish’s depth comes from, and rushing the sear sets a cap on how good the final braise can be.
- Skim the fat from the braising liquid before pouring it over the casserole. Lamb renders a lot of fat, and too much on top gives you greasy beans instead of velvety ones.
- Bake uncovered for the full final time. Those breadcrumbs need dry heat to turn truly golden, and covering at any point gives you pale, soggy tops.
Variations
- Add a tin of tomato paste to the braising liquid for a richer, redder sauce closer to Italian agnello con fagioli.
- Swap the red wine for dry white wine for a lighter, cleaner-tasting braise.
- Finish each portion with a shower of gremolata (chopped parsley, lemon zest, garlic) for a bright contrast to the long-cooked richness.
Ingredients
Directions
Pinto beans, Great Northerns, or pea beans can be used.
Pick over the beans, and soak them in water to cover by 2 inches overnight, changing water at least one time.
Drain.
In a kettle, combine the beans with water to cover by 1-inch and add one of the onions, stuck with the cloves, the bay leaf, 8 garlic cloves, and salt.
Boil the mixture for 5 minutes, and then simmer it, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the beans are just tender.
Stud lamb shanks with slivers of garlic and rub them down with crumbled dried rosemary and salt to taste.
In a heavy skillet, heat 3 tablespoon butter and 3 tablespoon oil over mod-high heat.
Brown the lamb shanks and season them with salt and pepper.
Add the rosemary, broth, wine, and bring liquid to a boil.
Simmer the shanks, covered, for 60 minutes.
In another skillet, cook the remaining 2 onions, sliced thin, in the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, until they are lightly browned.
Cook them, covered, until they are softened and season them with salt and pepper.
Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid.
Put half the beans in an 8-quart. casserole, top them with the onions and the remaining 3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine.
Transfer the shanks to the casserole and top them with the remaining beans.
Pour the lamb braising liquid over all and add enough of the bean cooking liquid to just cover.
Top the casserole with the bacon strips.
Cook it, uncovered, in the middle of a preheated 350℉ (180℃) F oven for 60 minutes.
Sprinkle the top of the mixture with bread crumbs.
Dot with the remaining butter, cut into bits.
Bake the mixture, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until the bread crumbs are golden.
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