Braised Lamb Shanks

4 large lamb shanks (4 1/2 lbs), bones cracked by your butcher, fat removed (by you or your butcher) 
2 cups red wine 
2 cups stock or broth (lamb, vegetable, or beef) 
2 medium onions, chopped 
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped 
1 large stalk of celery, cleaned and chopped 
4 medium new potatoes, peeled and cubed-keep in water until ready to add to sauce 
8 cloves of garlic, crushed 
1 28 ounce can of cut, peeled tomatoes 
1 teaspoon dried cilantro 
2 tablespoons dried parsley 
2 teaspoons basil 
1 teaspoon oregano 
2 teaspoons orange zest (optional) 
10 peppercorns 
2 tablespoons olive oil 
Salt and pepper to taste 
1 large plate 
1 large french oven or flameproof, covered casserole 
Tongs or wooden spoon 
Bowl with cold water

1. In a large french oven or flameproof casserole, heat olive oil until hot. Add two lamb shanks and brown them on all sides until golden to dark brown. Remove them to the plate and brown the other two lamb shanks. Remove them to the plate. Note If you try to do them all at once, your oil temperature will drop and you won't get them browned properly.

2. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of drippings from the pan. Add your onions, carrots, and celery to the pan and cook them, stirring constantly, for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tomatoes, cilantro, parsley, basil, peppercorns, wine, and stock and heat to boiling. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the lamb shanks, pushing them down into the liquid. Put on the tight-fitting lid.

3. Decision time: You can cook this in your oven at 300-325 degrees for 3- 3 1/2 hours. Or you can continue to cook this at low to medium low for 3-3 1/2 hours. I prefer the oven; it allows good temperature control and surrounds the pot with even heat. 

4. After 2 hours, drain the cubed potatoes and add them to the pot.

5. Wash the plate. You may need it to finish the dish.

6. At the end of the cooking time, uncover the pot and let the sauce cool and reduce (reduction is letting the water in the sauce evaporate, thickening the sauce and concentrating the flavor).

Serving: You can serve an individual shank on you/your guests plate or you can remove the shanks to your cooking plate and (after allowing them to cool) strip the meat off the bone and return it to the pot. Let it cool for 15-30 minutes; the dish will cool and the sauce will thicken. 

Finally, this dish is good the first day. It is twice as good the next day. I cook enough for dinner on Sunday and have enough leftover to take to work the next day.