Ingredients
- 2–3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2½ pounds lamb shanks (approximately 2 shanks), room temperature
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- Large pinch saffron
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 4 cups beef or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cups butternut squash, cut into a ¾" dice
- 1½ cups Honeycrisp or Fuji apples, cut into a ¾" dice
- ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted, divided
- 1½ teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Heat a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the oil, season the shanks generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and sear 2 to 3 minutes per side to develop a nice brown. Remove to a plate and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add the onion and a bit of salt and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onions are translucent. Add the garlic, ginger, saffron, and cinnamon and sauté for another 30 seconds to a minute, until fragrant. Nestle the lamb shanks back in the pot and add in the stock and the honey. Cover, bring up to a boil, and then place in the oven.
- Cook for 2 hours and 15 minutes and then remove from the oven. Toss in the squash, apples, and half of the almonds. Cover and put back in the oven for the next 45 minutes to an hour. The meat should be spoonable, basically falling off the bone.
- Serve hot, garnished with the remaining almonds and sesame seeds. This is great alongside couscous.