Recipe by Jeramie Wagar

Pairing with Navarro 2007 Pinot Noir, Méthode à L'Ancienne

• 4 Medium sized Lamb Shanks
• Kosher salt or flakey salt
• 3 Tablespoons plus 1/3 a cup of olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons of All Purpose flour
• 3 Large ribs of celery roughly chopped
• 1 Large carrot or 2 Medium roughly chopped
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1/3 cup of tomato paste
• 1 Large sweet onion roughly chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tablespoon of black peppercorns
• 6 whole juniper berries "optional"
• 1 small pinch of allspice
• 3 cups of dry red wine (I use Pinot Noir)
• 1 whole head of garlic
• 6 cups of chicken stock or broth
• 1 pound of Crimini mushrooms, or, if available, wild Black Trumpet mushrooms
• 2 Tablespoons of sweet butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the lamb liberally with the kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. With a sharp knife, cut about 1 inch from the bottom (narrow end of the shank bone) down to the bone and all the way around, this will help expose the bone well cooking. Set aside to rest for half an hour at room temperature.

Heat 3 Tablespoons of olive oil in a big roasting pan or a medium stock pot on medium heat. Throw in the 2 tablespoons of butter. Heat butter in oil until the butter starts to turn brown, then sear the lamb shanks on all sides until they are golden brown on every part of the shank. Then pull shanks out of pot and let rest on a tray if you can't sear the shanks together then just do 2 at a time.

Then add your onions, celery, and carrots and sauté on low heat. Once the vegetables start to caramelize, add the tomato paste and stir. Then add the allspice, bay leaf, juniper berries, peppercorns, thyme and the garlic head halved. After that add the dry red wine to the pot and simmer for about 10 minutes. Now add the shanks and the 6 cups of chicken stock to the pot with all the goodies, cover pot with lid or tin foil. Place in oven on the middle shelf.

Leave covered for 1 1/2 hours then uncover for 1 to 2 hours. Cook until the meat is almost coming off the bone, all the while turning the shanks every half hour.

Once the lamb is done pull from the juice and let rest. Turn off the juice and drain through a medium sieve or a fine mesh strainer. Skim the fat off the top of liquid let it cool down a bit. Discard solids in strainer.

In a sauce pot sauté the mushrooms until all the water has drained and evaporated, add the flour to the mushrooms and stir. Now slowly add the juice while you are stirring the mushrooms with a whisk. Keep whisking the gravy and adding the juice until all incorporated, you must keep whisking it or it will get lumps. Simmer the gravy until it is the consistency that you desire; add salt and pepper to taste.

Soft Creamy Polenta

• 1 cup of polenta
• 2 cups of water
• 3 cups of milk
• 4 tablespoon of grated parmesan
• 2 tablespoons of sweet butter
• Salt and fresh ground pepper

Bring the 2 cups of water to boil then add the polenta while whisking at the same time. Turn the heat down to medium after polenta has started to cook, about 5 minutes. Slowly add the milk and bring to boil while whisking constantly. Polenta is one thing that you have to stir almost the whole time you are cooking it. Cook for approximately for 20 minutes, turn down to simmer and add the butter, parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.

Sautéed Greens

• 1 bunch of Swiss chard, cleaned and de-stemmed
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic
• Salt and pepper
• 3 tablespoons of water
• 1 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of butter

In a big sauté pan or sauce pan add the water, 2 pinches of salt, Swiss chard, butter and olive oil. Cook over a medium flame, keep stirring until the water has evaporated and the chard is nice and tender. Now salt and pepper to taste and cover until ready to serve.