Oven Roasted Lamb Shanks with Roasted Tomatoes and Toasted Orzo

Ingredients

Lamb Shanks:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 4 lamb shanks
• 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 5 heads garlic, split in half horizontally
• 2 cups port wine
• 1 cup red wine
• 4 cups chicken stock

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven until smoking. Season the shanks on both sides with salt and pepper and sear until golden brown on both sides, remove to a plate. Add the celery, carrots,onions and garlic and cook until caramelized. Add the port and red wine and reduce by half. Add the chicken stock and shanks and bring to a boil, cover and bake in oven for 2 hours or until tender. Remove shanks, strain and reduce liquid by half.

Orzo Pasta:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound orzo
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

Heat oil and butter in pan. Add 1/2 of orzo and toast until golden brown. Add onion and remaining orzo and saute for 2 minutes. Heat a pot of water and add to the risotto as if you were making risotto, a little at a time, until the pasta is al dente. Finish with additional butter and a small amount of the braising liquid, add chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes:

• 4 plum tomatos, sliced in half, vertically
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Roasted Garlic Bulbs:

• 4 heads garlic, tops, removed
• 1 cup water
• 2 tablespoons butter

Toss the tomatoes in olive oil, season with salt and pepper and roast in a 200 degree F oven for 4 hours. (Re-hydrated sundried tomatoes will work just as well)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place water and butter in a roasting pan, add garlic heads, cut-side-down, cover and roast for 1 hour.