Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 lamb shanks
• 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 1 large onion, coarsely chopped
• 2 cups Port wine
• 1 cup red wine
• 4 cups chicken stock or water
• Roasted Garlic, recipe follows
• Toasted Orzo Pasta, recipe follows
• Slow Roasted Tomatoes, recipe follows

Directions

Roasted Garlic:

2 heads garlic, tops removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Place garlic heads in a small roasting dish and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for about 1 1/2 hours or until soft. Let cool before squeezing the pulp out.

Toasted Orzo Pasta:

1 pound orzo

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

1 cup braising liquid from lamb shanks, recipe above

1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Salt and pepper

Bring 8 cups of water (or a combination of chicken stock and water) to a boil.

Heat a medium nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 of the orzo and toast until golden brown. In a medium saucepan, heat the butter and oil over medium heat, then add the onion and cook until soft. Add the toasted orzo and the remaining orzo and saute for 1 minute to coat the pasta with the onion mixture. Add hot water to the orzo as if you were making risotto, a little at a time, until the pasta is al dente. Finish with the cold butter and 1 cup of the braising liquid. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Slow Roasted Tomatoes:

4 plum tomatoes, sliced in 1/2 vertically

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

In a small baking dish, toss the tomatoes in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 4 hours. Alternatively, use re-hydrated sun-dried tomatoes instead.