Braised Veal Shanks With Five Spice And Ginger Recipe

• 12 x dry shiitake mushrooms
• 2 1/2 c. boiling water
• 1 x 3-inch-long piece fresh ginger, peeled, thickly sliced
• 3 clv garlic, peeled
• 3/4 c. coarsely minced fresh cilantro
• 4 1/2 Tbsp. black bean garlic sauce*
• 6 tsp peanut oil
• 1 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice pwdr**
• 6 lrg lamb shanks (about 1 lb. each), excess fat trimmed
• 3/4 c. thinly sliced green onions
• 3/4 c. dry Sherry Steamed white rice

1. Place mushrooms in bowl.
2. Pour boiling water over; let soak till mushrooms soften, at least 45 min and up to 4 hrs.
3. Strain mix, reserving 1 1/2 c. soaking liquid.
4. Cut stems from mushrooms and throw away; thinly slice caps.
5. With food processor running, add in ginger and garlic and finely chop.
6. Add in cilantro, black bean sauce, 2 tsp.
7. peanut oil, and five-spice pwdr.
8. Process till paste forms, occasionally scraping down sides of work bowl.
9. Using sharp knife, cut 5 small shallow slits into each lamb shank, spacing apart; rub generous 1 Tbsp.
10. black bean-cilantro paste into slits and all over surface of each shank.
11. (Mushrooms and lamb shanks can be prepared 6 hrs ahead.
12. Cover mushrooms, soaking liquid and shanks separately and chill.)
13. Preheat oven to 325 F. Cut six 18-inch squares of aluminum foil; place on work surface.
14. Place green onions and sliced mushroom caps in center of each foil square, dividing equally.
15. Heat remaining 4 tsp.
16. peanut oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
17. Working in batches, add in lamb shanks and cook till brown on all sides, about 5 min per batch.
18. Place 1 lamb shank atop green onions and mushrooms on each foil square.
19. Pour reserved mushroom soaking liquid and Sherry into same skillet.
20. Boil till liquid is reduced to 3/4 c., scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet, about 10 min.
21. Spoon 2 Tbsp.
22. reduced liquid over each lamb shank, pulling up foil around shanks to prevent liquid from spilling out.
23. Enclose shanks completely in foil, twisting foil to seal; place on large rimmed baking sheet.
24. Bake lamb shanks till very tender and meat almost falls off bones, about 2 hrs.
25. Open up foil packets; place each atop bowl of steamed rice, allowing diners to remove foil.
26. * Available at Asian markets and in the Asian foods section of supermarkets.
27. ** A blend of grnd anise, cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and ginger; available in the spice section of most supermarkets.
28. Makes 6 servings.
29. These Asian-inspired lamb shanks are wrapped and baked in individual foil packets, then placed atop bowls of steamed rice.
30. Serve with stir-fried bok choy or possibly other Chinese greens.
31. What to drink: Asian lager beer or possibly a fruity red Zinfandel.

shiitake mushrooms, boiling water, ginger, garlic, fresh cilantro, black bean garlic sauce, peanut oil, pwdr, lamb, green onions, rice

Taken from cookeatshare.com/recipes/braised-veal-shanks-with-five-spice-and-ginger-90871 (may not work)