Cider Braised Lamb Shank

Red Wine Braised Cabbage, Mustard Spaetzle, Apple Confit

The Shanks

• 1 Cs Pork Shanks
• 2 Juniper Berries
• 2 C Fennel Seeds
• 12 Star Anise
• 5 Bay Leaves
• 20 Cloves Garlic
• 1 Bunch Thyme
• 1 Lb Slab Bacon, Cut Into Llardons
• 8 White Onion, Roughly Chopped 
• 6 Carrots, Peeled And Rough Chopped
• 1 Head Celery, Washed And Rough Chopped
• Salt
• Pork Or Veal Stock

Directions

1. Season shanks well with salt and roast in a 365 degree convection oven for one hour and twenty minutes or until shanks are caramelized and brown.
2. In a separate rondeaux, caramelize onion, carrot, and celery for 8-10 minutes.  Deglaze with apple cider and reduce by 80 percent.  Add thyme, garlic, and bay leaf.  Divide mirepoix and reduced cider into two deep hotel pans. 
3. Add shanks on top of vegetables and cider, cover with veal/pork stock and bring to a boil on the stove/grill/plancha.
4. Check the seasoning of braising liquid, making sure it is balanced and not salty.  Add salt if necessary.
5. In a separate bowl, mix juniper berries, fennel seeds & star anise making sure spices are well mixed.  Divide into two equal Bouqet Garnis and place in hotel pans with shanks.
6. Double wrap with aluminum foil and braise in a 325 degree oven for 2 hours.
7. Remove shanks from oven, remove foil, and cool down shanks in the cooking liquid.  Before re-heating, skim off excess fat and reserve for the apple confit.  Re-heat the following day, removing shanks, and passing the cooking liquid through a Chinois.  Reserve 4 quarts cooking liquid for service, and reduce remaining liquid to sauce consistency.

Red Wine Braised Cabbage

• 6 Heads Purple Cabbage
• 1 Qt Red Wine
• 2 C Red Wine Vinegar
• 1 C Dark  Brown Sugar
• Salt

Directions

1. Chop cabbage finely and soak in heavily salted ice water (1 c salt: 1 gallon water) for 2 hours to remove some of the bitterness.
2. While cabbage is soaking, combine red wine, red wine vinegar and brown in a saucepan and reduce by half.
3. Drain cabbage and place in a large hotel pan with reduced wine, vinegar & sugar.
4. Double wrap with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 ½ hours, mixing the cabbage halfway through cooking.

Red Wine Braised Cabbage

• 5 granny smith or green apples
• 1 qt reserved pork fat
• ¼ lb butter

Directions

1. Peel, core, and rough chop apples.
2. Add pork fat and cook apples over low heat until apples have sweated out most of their moisture (the apples should no longer look like they’re “boiling”) roughly an hour.
3. Strain fat from apples (save the fat.  It’ll become more flavorful the second and third times it is used) and puree in vita prep.
4. Add cold butter while pureeing, season to taste.