Roast Lamb Meal Recipe

Marinate (24 hours)

In a bowl combine 1/4 cup olive oil, minced garlic, chopped rosemary, thyme, lemon zest, red wine, soy sauce, brown sugar, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper and bay leaves. Mix well. Place lamb shanks in a large resealable bag or shallow container and pour marinade over them, massaging to coat. Seal and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning once or twice to redistribute marinade.

Bring to room temperature

Remove the marinated lamb shanks from the refrigerator 45–60 minutes before cooking to take the chill off. Reserve marinade.

Brown the shanks

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Heat a large ovenproof Dutch oven or heavy roasting pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Remove shanks from marinade (reserve solids and liquid) and pat dry with paper towels. Sear the shanks 3–4 minutes per side until well browned, working in batches if needed. Transfer browned shanks to a plate.

Deglaze and combine

Lower heat to medium. Add the reserved marinade and the 1/2 cup red wine (or additional stock) to the pan to deglaze, scraping browned bits from the bottom. Add 1 cup water or stock and the bay leaves. Return the shanks to the pan, spooning some liquid over them so they sit partially submerged. Cover tightly with lid or foil.

Slow roast

Place the covered pan in the preheated oven and roast for 2.5–3 hours, or until the meat is very tender and pulls away from the bone with a fork. Check after 1.5–2 hours and baste once; add a splash more stock if pan becomes dry.

Finish and rest

Remove pan from oven. Transfer shanks to a platter and tent with foil to rest 10–15 minutes. If you want a pan sauce: skim excess fat from the cooking liquid, place the pan over medium heat on stovetop, reduce liquid to a saucy consistency (5–8 minutes), adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and strain if desired. Spoon sauce over shanks to serve.

Raise oven temperature to 400°F (200°C) during last 30–40 minutes of lamb roast or start separately so potatoes finish roughly when lamb is ready. Toss halved potatoes with 2 tbs olive oil, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper in a bowl until evenly coated.

Spread potatoes cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Roast in preheated 400°F oven for 30–40 minutes, turning once halfway through, until edges are golden brown and centers are tender when pierced with a fork.

Remove from oven, toss with chopped parsley and season to taste. Keep warm until serving.

While lamb roasts, prepare rice near the end of cooking so it is fresh. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) if not already at that temperature from other steps.

In an ovenproof baking dish (about 9x13 or similar), combine 1.5 cups rinsed long-grain rice, 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock, 1 tbs butter (or olive oil), and 3/4 tsp salt. Stir once to level. Cover tightly with foil (two layers if necessary) to trap steam.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove foil and fluff rice with a fork. Keep covered until ready to serve.

In a small bowl whisk together 3 tbs olive oil, 1 tbs red wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper to make the dressing.

In a large bowl combine chopped greens, halved cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, sliced red onion, and kalamata olives. Drizzle dressing over the salad and toss gently to coat.

Top salad with crumbled feta just before serving to avoid sogginess.