Chilly Winter's Eve
Lamb Shank Supper

4 Servings
Preparation Time: 45 min.
Cook Time: 2 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

• 4 American Lamb foreshanks
• Salt and coarse pepper to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal 1/4-inch thick
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 fennel, quartered lengthwise and sliced 1/4-inch thick (do not use solid center)
• 2 bottles (12 ounces each) light to medium beer*
• 1 can (15 ounces) chopped petite tomatoes and juice
• 1 cup fat-free chicken broth
• 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 bay leaves

Instructions:

Generously season shanks with salt and pepper. In large skillet, heat oil over high heat. Brown shanks on all sides until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Remove from pan and place in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Pour out liquid from pan.

In same skillet, combine garlic, carrots, onion and fennel; sauté for 6 to 8 minutes to lightly brown, stirring occasionally. Mix in beer or broth, tomatoes and juice, chicken broth, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Pour over shanks. Braise in 375°F oven for 2-1/2 hours. Baste shanks with sauce and turn them over every 45 minutes. Serve lamb in large, low-sided soup bowls with broth and vegetables.

*24 ounces of fat-free chicken broth may be substituted.

Nutrition per serving: 463 calories, 37 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 19 g total fat, (37% calories from fat), 125 mg cholesterol, 6 g fiber, 943 mg sodium, 7.12 mg niacin, 0.31 mg vitamin B6, 2.56 mcg vitamin B12, 5 mg iron, 9 mg zinc.

Recipe and image provided by the American Lamb Board

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Farm Facts

Did you know that sheep have played a pivotal role in the history of human development? As the first domesticated livestock in the world, sheep and human beings changed almost simultaneously, marking the transition from a pure hunter-gatherer society to a mixed society of farmers, ranchers, hunters, etc. As this happened, the sheep were domesticated from the wild Urials and Mouflon into the first generations of what we now call Soay sheep, thanks to our ancestor's desire for consistent and convenient access to protein, dairy and textiles.

These Soay sheep are still hardly recognizable when compared against our modern livestock (Suffolk, among many breeds). It wasn't until the Roman Era, that sheep began to be bred for the qualities we recognize today (white wool, long-haired, milk-producing and a reliable meat size).

As the Romans selected new breeds of sheep, they incorporated them more deeply into their religion. To the Romans, sheep were a delicious meal, a source of treasured wool and most importantly - a means of telling the future; by ordaining signs from the animal's entrails. This activity taken so seriously, that it took years of study in order to be recognized as a haruspex (a priest certified in the reading of a sheep's liver).

Sheep also played a role in shaping the development of writing. As early as 8,000 BCE, clay tokens (the predecessor to Cuneiform, the world's first set of languages) appeared. One of the first recognizable tokens was used to trade sheep. This token was an oblong ball of clay with a cross cut into the front face.

When Cuneiform further developed throughout Mesopotamia, this symbol only underwent slight changes before becoming the permanent sign for sheep.

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