Discover the Joy of Slow-Cooking All-Natural Lamb Shanks

Ketchum Grill Chef Shares Favorite Cold-Weather Recipe

February 2008, Hailey, ID—Ask seasoned cooks the world over what they crave when it comes to slow-cooked meat on the bone, and chances are they'll go on about the many virtues of lamb shanks. While the chilly winds of winter blow, it’s a great time to take advantage of those virtues with the best lamb you can find: preferably 100-percent grass-fed, all natural.

Ideally, you want lamb that has been raised sustainably, humanely, and without antibiotics or growth hormones, and never placed in feedlots. (Feed-finishing results in a fattier, stronger tasting lamb.) Here’s the lowdown on the goodness of lamb shanks, just one of several 100-percent grass-fed all-natural cuts available from Lava Lake Lamb of Hailey Idaho where the lambs range far and wide, over one million acres and graze the way nature intended: on fragrant grasses, wild range land, and irrigated pasture. As a result, Lava Lake Lamb tastes mild and pure— with that elusive quality the French call “terroir.”

• Lamb shanks are from the part of the animal that gets a lot of exercise, so they develop exceptional flavor. Shanks break down to a luscious, gelatinous consistency when slow-cooked.
• Any time you cook meat on the bone you're “upping” the flavor component. Bones add unmistakable character and flavor you can't get any other way.
• Lamb shanks give you the ultimate ease of long, slow cooking. The resulting lamb is meltingly tender.

One avid Lava Lake Lamb shank aficionado is chef Scott Mason of the acclaimed Ketchum Grill near Idaho’s Sun Valley Resort. Mason’s restaurant is just a few miles from Lava Lake Ranch, one of the West’s largest land conservation projects. Following is one of his most popular recipes for Lava Lake Lamb. To learn more about Lava Lake Lamb and to order the lamb online, please visit www.lavalakelamb.com.

About Lava Lake Lamb

Lava Lake Lamb is an artisanal producer of certified organic and all-natural grass-fed lamb. We raise our lamb on a family-owned ranch in the southern Pioneer Mountains near Sun Valley Idaho. Dedicated to the proposition that what we eat matters, we raise our Lava Lake 100-Percent Grass-Fed Organic and All-Natural Lambs sustainably, humanely and without antibiotics or growth hormones, and never place them in feed lots. The resulting lamb is tender, delectable and highly nutritious.

Our deep commitment to raising the highest-quality, best-tasting lamb goes hand-in-hand with our commitment to a large-scale conservation effort designed to restore and protect one million contiguous acres of rich native landscape that we are privileged to use. 100% of the profits from the sale of our certified organic and all-natural grass-fed lamb helps fund vital conservation work through our non-profit Lava Lake Foundation for Science and Conservation.

Lava Lake Lamb Shanks
Chef Scott Mason, The Ketchum Grill

www.ketchumgrill.com

At the end of a long day, when skiers and locals in Idaho’s wintry climate are ready for something hearty and soul-warming, they head to the Ketchum Grill for chef Scott Mason’s Lava Lake Lamb Shanks. “We can barely keep up with the demand,” says Mason.

Preparation Time 30 minutes; cooking time approx. 3 hours

• 8 Lava Lake Lamb shanks
• 2-4 Tbs. olive oil for browning shanks
• 8 cups red wine
• 3 cups tomato paste
• 1/2 cup paprika
• 2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 Tbs. kosher salt

Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat in a large, deep roasting pan. Brown shanks in olive oil, a few at a time, turning to brown all sides. Reserve browned shanks on platter and add more olive oil to pan for browning additional shanks as needed. Return all browned shanks to pan and add all remaining wet and dry ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover with water, return to boil and then simmer on medium to low heat for 3 hours. Replenish with water if too much evaporates during cooking. When shanks are fork tender, they are done. Serve hot with cooking liquid as the sauce. Chef Mason suggests serving Lava Lake Lamb Shanks with creamy polenta or mashed potatoes.

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Lava Lake Lamb specializes in grass fed natural and organic lamb. If you are looking for organic lamb or all-natural lamb, Click Here.