Manischewitz-Braised Lamb Shank

Ingredients

• Lamb
• 4 lamb shanks
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided
• 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 medium carrots, unpeeled and cut into 2-inch lengths
• 2 celery stalks, cut into 2-inch lengths
• 2 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 medium yellow onion, quartered and each quarter halved crosswise
• 1 leek, white and light green parts only, sliced into 2-inch lengths
• 2 tablespoons harissa paste
• Two 2-inch cinnamon sticks
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups Manischewitz red wine
• Spicy Apples
• 1 Granny Smith apple--halved, cored, and thinly sliced into ⅛-inch-thick strips
• ½ lemon
• 1 red chile (such as a Fresno chile)--halved, seeded and thinly sliced lengthwise into strips
• 2 tablespoons roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Pinch kosher salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Set a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat and heat until very hot, about 5 minutes. Season the lamb shanks with 1½ teaspoons of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper. Add the oil to the pot and then add the lamb shanks, searing on all sides until they are very browned, about 7 minutes total. Transfer the shanks to a plate.
2. To the pot, add the carrots, celery, apples, onion and leek. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and leek are wilted and turning golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in the harissa, cook, stirring often for 1 minute, then add the cinnamon sticks, honey, water and Manischewitz. Stir to combine, add the lamb shanks back into the pot, cover and place the pot in the oven. Cook until the meat is about to fall off the bone, about 2½ hours. Remove the pot from the oven and transfer the lamb shanks to a platter.
3. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium saucepan and strain the cooking liquid into the pan. Use a rubber spatula to press down on the solids in the sieve to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. Bring the liquid in the saucepan to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and gently simmer until the sauce is reduced by half, 6 to 10 minutes.
4. To a medium bowl, add the apples, red chile, parsley and salt. Squeeze the lemon half over the apples and gently toss to combine. Divide the lamb shanks among 4 plates. Serve with the reduced sauce and the spicy apples.