Lamb shanks, known as mahicheh in Farsi, have a special place in Persian cuisine. They’re usually served for weddings and other special occasions like Ramadan and Nowruz, typically alongside baghali polo, a dill and fava bean rice. The lamb shanks are cooked for a few hours with aromatics, then slowly braised in a tomato sauce to absorb all the flavors and until the meat is so tender that it falls off the bone.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 6 hr |
| Active: | 50 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 1/8 teaspoon ground saffron
- 4 lamb shanks (12 to 16 ounces each)
- 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
- 1 head garlic
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 6 cardamom pods
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- For the lamb: Sprinkle the saffron over 3 ice cubes in a bowl and let them melt at room temperature; this blooms the saffron. Place the lamb shanks in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 25 minutes; white or brown foam will collect on the surface. Take the lamb shanks out of the pot and discard that water.
- Place the lamb shanks back in the pot and add the onion, garlic, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, bay leaves and 1 tablespoon salt. Add water to cover the shanks by about 1 1/2 inches. Place the pot over high heat, bring to a boil, lower the heat to medium and simmer until the lamb is very tender, about 4 hours.
- Meanwhile, for the tomato sauce: Melt the butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add the olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they are golden, about 15 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook until aromatic, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic powder, turmeric, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and cook 5 minutes longer. Pour in enough water to cover the lamb shanks, 6 to 8 cups. Increase the heat to medium high and bring it to a simmer. Adjust the heat and simmer 15 minutes.
- Remove the lamb from the pot and add it to the tomato sauce. Cook over medium heat, uncovered, until the sauce has reduced to half and the lamb is so tender it falls off the bone, about 1 hour.
- Add the bloomed saffron to the pot and cook for 10 more minutes. Taste and add more salt and pepper and serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 916 |
| Total Fat | 63 g |
| Saturated Fat | 29 g |
| Carbohydrates | 21 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Protein | 65 g |
| Cholesterol | 248 mg |
| Sodium | 1288 mg |