Braised Lamb Shanks with Orange and Olives

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 6 (12-ounce) lamb shanks, trimmed
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce)
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (about 2 oranges)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon grated orange rind
• 4 kalamata olives, pitted and quartered lengthwise

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Place flour in a shallow dish. Dredge lamb in flour, turning to coat; shake off excess flour. Add 2 shanks to pan; cook for 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure twice with remaining lamb shanks.
3. Add garlic to pan; sauté for 1 minute. Add orange juice, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Stir in wine; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes. Stir in beef broth, thyme, and tomato paste; return to a boil. Remove from heat.
4. Add lamb to pan; cover and bake at 350° for 2 hours. Stir in rind and olives; bake an additional 30 minutes or until lamb is very tender. Place lamb on a platter; keep warm.
5. Place a large zip-top plastic bag inside a 4-cup glass measure. Pour cooking liquid into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain cooking liquid and olives into pan, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Bring cooking liquid to a boil over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 2 cups (about 20 minutes).