Title: Braised lamb shanks with roasted garlic and white beans
 Categories: Meats, Main dish, Low-cal, Vegetables
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
      1 c  Dried Cannellini, great
           - Northern or navy beans
      1 lg Head garlic
      1 tb Olive oil
      4    Lamb shanks, trimmed of fat
           - and membrane (1 pound)
      2 sm Carrots, peeled and diced
      1    Onion, chopped
      1    Stalk celery, diced
    1/2 c  Dry red wine
    1/2 c  Defatted beef stock
     28 oz Plum tomatoes, drained
           - (1 can)
      2 tb Chopped fresh rosemary -or-
           - 2 ts dried
      1    Bay leaf
           Salt and freshly ground
           - pepper to taste
 
  Sort beans, discarding any debris.  Rinse and place in a large bowl.
  Cover with cold water and let soak for at least 8 hours of overnight.
  Alternatively, in a large pot, cover beans with water and bring to a
  boil. Boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let stand for 1
  hour. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Remove as much of the outer husk
  of the garlic as possible without separating the colves.  Wrap
  loosely in aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Unwrap foil and
  separate the cloves slightly so that they cook evenly. Wrap again and
  bake for 30 minutes longer, or until the garlic is very soft. Set
  aside to cool. Increase oven temperature to 325 degrees. In a Dutch
  oven, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil over medium-high heat. Add lamb shanks
  and brown on all sides. Remove from the pan and drain on paper
  towels. Add the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons oil to the pan, then add
  carrots, onions and celery; saute for 2 to 3 minutes, or until
  softened. Add wine and cook until it has reduced by half, 5 to 7
  minutes. Stir in beef stock, tomatoes, rosemary and bay leaf. Peel
  half the roasted garlic cloves and add to the pan; bring to a boil.
  Return the meat to the pan, cover tightly and place in the oven. Bake
  for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, turning the shanks occasionally, or until the
  meat is very tender. Meanwhile, drain beans and place in a large
  heavy pot.  Add water to cover by about 4 inches and bring to a boil.
  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the
  beans are tender.  Drain.  (This recipe can be prepared ahead to this
  point.  Cover and refrigerate the stew and beans separately for up to
  2 days.  Lift off fat that has solidified on the surface of the stew
  and reheat before proceeding.) With tongs, transfer the shanks to a
  plate, cover and keep warm.  Remove bay leaf from the sauce and skim
  off fat.  Boil the sauce for about 5 minutes, or until slightly
  thickened. Peel the remaining roasted garlic and add to the sauce
  along with the drained beans.  Heat through and season with salt and
  pepper. Mound the bean mixture on a platter and place the lamb shanks
  on top. Serves 4. CALORIES: 445 PER SERVING; PROTEIN: 40 GRAMS; FAT:
  10 GRAMS; CARBOHYDRATE: 46 GRAMS; SODIUM: 518 MILLIGRAMS;
  CHOLESTEROL: 89 MILLIGRAMS.
  
  File