If I were a wine and had to marry this recipe, I’d ask it, “OK, where am I pairing up with you? With the meaty richness of the lamb? With the sweetness of the cooked root vegetables? How about we make this a “catholic” wedding and suggest that a lot of wines — red, pink, white, sparkling, even off dry — would succeed.
HERE’S THE DISH …
Easy Lamb Shanks With Root Vegetables
Recipe from John Kessler, former Denver Post Food Editor
Preheat oven to 275. Sprinkle 4 small lamb shanks with seasoning salt, and cumin, allspice and black pepper, all ground, to coat lightly but evenly. Peel and chop into 1-inch lengths 2 carrots and 2 parsnips. Peel and cut into wedges 1 small onion and 1 small turnip. Place everything in a deep baking dish big enough to hold the lamb and vegetables in one layer. Add 1 bay leaf, 1 14-ounce can diced or chopped tomatoes and their juices, 1 3/4 cups dry red wine, and 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Add just enough water or low-salt broth to bring the liquid level halfway up the sides of the shanks. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake 3 to 4 hours, turning shanks once, until meat is very tender and pulled back from the base of the bone. Before serving, transfer shanks and vegetables to a warmed serving dish with a slotted spoon and tent with foil to keep warm. Pour sauce into a large measuring cup or clear bowl; let it stand until fat rises; skim off fat. Mildly heat sauce, whisking in 1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter. Pour sauce over shanks and vegetables. Serves 4.
AND PAIR IT WITH …
The common element that would mark a wine successful in a marriage to this lamb dish will bracing acidity, a textural component that works with the sweetness in the dish or scours away its richness. Lots of possibilities present themselves. For instance, Italy’s 2012 Ruffino Reserva Ducale Chianti Classico Riserva, buoyant of fruit and fine of line, like sipping laser light. Or New Zealand’s 2014 Nobilo Pinot Noir from Marlborough and its head-snapping aroma of berry fruits and taut acidity.
