Lamb Shanks

3 T oil

4 lamb shanks
4 - 5 T plain flour
1 leek, halved and cut into 1cm pieces
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
440 g canned tomates
8 - 10 garlic cloves still in paper
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
1 sprig of rosemary
1 t whole black peppercorns
1 C red wine
2 1/2 C vegetable or chicken stock
Salt and pepper, to taste

Pre-heat oven to 150C .

Heat oil in a fry pan over medium-high heat.

Toss shanks with flour to coat well; then shake off excess. Brown shanks, then remove from the frypan and rest in baking dish.Cook in batches if need be.

Add the leek, celery, carrot, onion, and garlic to the fry pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened, stirring as needed.

Season with the bay leaf, peppercorns, thyme and rosemary sprigs. Pour in tomatoes, wine and stock, increase heat to high, and bring to a simmer.

Season to taste and pour vegetables over lamb shanks.

Cover the baking dish tightly with foil, and place into oven. Bake until the meat is tender and falls off of the bone, 2 ½ to 3 hours.

Remove the bay leaf and herb stems before serving shanks with mashed potatoes or couscous, steamed beans and a sprinkle of parsley

You can also make this in a slow cooker - adjust cooking times as necessary.

Image from: La Tavola Marche