Melba's Jammin' wrote:
> In article >, Boron Elgar
> > wrote:
>
>> Early in the spring I had written to a local farm that raises lambs
>> to reserve one for the fall, as they are ready for market near the
>> end of October. I never heard back and forgot about it altogether.
>>
>> Yesterday I got an email asking me to confirm my reservation and tell
>> them how I want the lamb cut. OH BOY!
>>
>> This will be a lovely fall with legs, rack, shoulder chops, shanks
>> and stew meat. I am quite jazzed! The freezer needed cleaning out
>> anyway.
>>
>> Yum!
>>
>> Boron
>
> She scores!! Good on you. I've never cooked lamb in my life. I
> had a shank a couple weeks ago at a fabulous restaurant in St. Cloud
> (story on my website - Cafe Renaissance). I'm scared to cook it.

Lamb is wonderful! Can't believe you're afraid of it I first tasted
lamb (kabobs) when I went on a date in 1976 at some French place in midtown,
Memphis. The server gently suggested I might like it prepared medium-rare.
How right he was!

Since then I have prepared lamb loin chops (the shoulder chops are too
costly for what little bit you get); and lamb shanks, but never a whole leg
of lamb. No need for that much meat here nor the freezer space.

The shanks are great, like big turkey drumsticks, except, well... it's lamb.

3 lb. lamb shanks
2 leeks, finely chopped
1/2 lb. white mushrooms, sliced
1 sweet onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 c. wine
salt & pepper

Saute the lamb shanks in oil with a little onion and garlic thrown in
towards the end of browning. Deglaze the pan with wine (your choice, white
or light red, but not heavy like port) and cover with chicken or vegetable
broth. Toss in the leeks (well washed and chopped, mostly the white part)
and add sliced mushrooms at the end. Simmer until tender; season to taste
with salt & pepper, and a little dried marjoram.

Lift out the shanks and veggies with a slotted spoon and thicken the sauce
with a bit of a cornstarch slurry. Remove meat from shanks and return to
the pan. (Reserve the bones for soup later.) Simmer lamb mixture until
thickened in the sauce; adjust seasonings to taste.

Jill