Saba-Braised Lamb Shanks

Recipe View Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). (5 minutes)

Recipe View Place lamb shanks into a large bowl; drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and dried rosemary. Toss the lamb shanks to evenly coat with oil and seasonings. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Spread sliced onion and crushed garlic cloves into the bottom of a heavy 9x12-inch baking dish. Lay seasoned lamb shanks over the onion and garlic. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Bake lamb in the preheated oven for 30 minutes to achieve a beautiful sear. Reduce oven temperature to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). (30 minutes)

Recipe View Combine chicken broth and saba in a bowl. Pour mixture over the lamb shanks. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and place baking dish on a baking sheet. (5 minutes)

Recipe View Bake lamb in the oven until a knife pierces the meat easily, approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat should be very tender but still clinging to the bone. Use tongs to turn the shanks over in the pan sauce. Increase temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). (150-180 minutes)

Recipe View Return shanks to oven and bake, uncovered, until meat is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Turn shanks over in the sauce after 10 minutes and check for tenderness; if still not tender enough, return to oven for 10 to 15 more minutes and test again. (10-30 minutes)

Recipe View Transfer lamb shanks to a serving bowl and keep warm. Strain pan juices into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Skim any excess grease from top of sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt as needed; stir in fresh rosemary. Serve sauce generously drizzled over the lamb shanks. (10 minutes)