Braised Lamb Shanks - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
6 garlic cloves, peeled
1 large onion, chopped
1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 (440 g) can peeled tomatoes, chopped, juice reserved
4 lamb shanks
250 ml red wine, good drinking quality
4 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 liter beef stock (approximately) or 1 liter water (approximately)

Preparation

Pre-heat oven to 160c.
Heat the oil in a big, heavy-based, oven-proof pan.
Brown the shanks well on all sides, remove, fry the garlic, onions and carrot until they are softened.
Add the tinned tomatoes and their juice to the pan, sit the shanks on top, then add the remaining ingredients.
Use enough stock to just barely cover the shanks.
Put the un-covered pan in the oven.
Braise for about 2 hours, checking it every 30 minutes or so.
Turn the shanks each time you check, and replace the liquid (some will evaporate during cooking) to bring it to half-way up the shanks.
The shanks are done when the meat is beginning to fall of the bone.
Remove them and place on a warmed serving dish Strain the liquid, pressing with a spoon to get all the juices out.
Skim and discard as much fat as you can, then reduce the remaining liquid to a nice gravy consistency.
Pour over the shanks and serve.